Ben Cachiaras, lead pastor of Mountain Christian Church in Joppa Maryland, wrote this heart felt letter to his church.  I truly believe he is spot on.  His reflection calls us all to action.
Enjoy!

“Dear Mountain Family,

Yesterday was Martin Luther King, Jr. day. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about his life and legacy. Some of you remember 1963 when Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke before a huge crowd at the National Mall.Standing in the symbolic shadow of Abe Lincoln who signed the Emancipation Proclamation which declared freedom, King reminded us that we still have a long way to go. And then he painted a picture of the future in his rousingly famous speech declaring “I Have a Dream!”

I hope you know that dream. It is a beautiful dream born in the heart of God, a dream of God’s justice rolling down from the Mountains, rushing like a river into hearts and coursing through families and communities and nations. It is a dream of a place Baltimore and Harford and Cecil county could be — where fear and ignorance which perpetuate hate and mistrust are rooted up so that the beautiful flowers of dignity, respect and mutual concern may grow in their place. As King said, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Do we live in that world yet?

We used to sing a song as kids: “Jesus loves the little children – ALL the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.” Someone probably doesn’t think that song is politically correct anymore. But theologically it hits the bulls-eye. That’s the dream King died to bring home – a world where love wins because we recognize that person who is unknown or different from me is also created in God’s image and therefore precious in his sight, someone else for whom Jesus died.

We still have a ways to go.

Many remember King as a Civil Rights activist or march leader. But he was a preacher – a kind of Christian prophet. Though prophets are rarely well received, the good ones deliver truth we need to hear. Sometimes you didn’t ask for the message, or feel ready for it. But it is still true, and it is still God’s word for you. King still speaks to us today. And make no mistake: the dream is at the core of the Gospel and Jesus cares very much about seeing it come true. That’s why I think we should ask ourselves: Am I really doing all I can to bring Christ’s dream to reality? We are invited to ache and pray for that dream. More than that, we are called to live in such a way that walls of racism are replaced by the bridges of gracism because of our personal involvement in the dream.

How are you involved in making the dream come true?

Forty-seven years ago King declared that 11 o’clock Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week. Mountain is committed to being a place where faith in Christ is shared across racial lines. A place where everyone is welcome. We are a people who will do more than shake our heads in dismay at the problems; we will be part of the solution. That’s part of our DNA. If you’re part of this church, I’m asking you to think about what you are doing to break down racial walls and build bridges of trust and friendship.

You can start this week by walking across the room to speak to, acknowledge, honor, lift up, or go out of your way to be friendly to someone who is not like you in color or culture. Be Jesus and reach out and touch someone.

One day in heaven, the Bible tells us all God’s children will gather before him with faces of various hues lifted together, and voices of different dialects and languages synched up in one beautiful, melodious song of praise. It is the harmony of the Kingdom of God.

Let’s bring a little heaven to earth this Sunday in our worship, in our small groups and gatherings – knowing that when our community loves like that across the divides, God’s dream grows closer and his smile wider.”

In Andy Stanley’s latest book, Principle Of The Path, he asserts a very good point:

“…your direction, not your intention, determines your destination!”

Basically he’s saying, it’s not good enough to want something to happen, you must demonstrate your “want” through how you do what it is you do.  For ministry leaders that means, it’s not enough to want more diversity on your staff, or in your congregation.  For diversity to have the greatest chance of happening, you must reflect that intent with intentional habits that are directly responsible for your direction.

Stanley goes on to say that, “commonly, there is a disconnect between the chosen path and our intended destination.”  We make the mistake in thinking that our hopes and dreams somehow trump the daily choices we make, and they do not.  Here are three common disconnects that keep our desired outcome of diversity different from our good intentions:

1.  Vision vs. Values: Our destination is determined, most often, not by the vision that we set, but by the values that we reward. Leadership behavior sets the standards and pace of the organization.  Your staff, volunteers, and constituents get their cues from your choice behaviors, and the behaviors you reward.  If your choices and decisions do not reflect your stated vision, neither will the choices and decisions of those who follow your leadership.  It’s the applied values that create the culture of your organization.  Vision establishes your desired outcome. Values establish your daily behavior. And it’s your daily behaviors, and the daily behaviors of your organization that have the greatest impact on your destination.

2. Funding Drives Direction: Luke 12:34 tells us that, “where [our] treasure is, there [our] hearts will be also!” We invest in what we value.  You can say you really want a more diverse staff, but if you are not willing to invest in new ways of recruiting and finding qualified leaders of diversity, then you are allowing there to be a disconnect between your good intentions and your destination.  Where you put your resources of time, attention, and finances drives your direction.  And remember, it’s our direction, not our intention, that determines our destination.

3. Business Model, Vision, & Values: When the organization’s approach and systems of operation do not support the vision, no matter how much you desire change, you will end up moving in a different direction.  How we administer our ministries can and does reflect and reinforce unintended values.  If the results you are getting do not match the intent you desire, you must change the model.  This is hard because the business model you use reflects your investment in efforts, time, and people.  changing the model may mean changing how you invest in these 3 crucial areas.  Remember, your business model, not your vision, reveals your values and drives your direction.

It is very important to cast a compelling vision that paints a picture of a promising future -for it is without vision do a people suffer.  That is why it is crucial for that vision (intention) to be valued through how we direct our organization. Direction, not intention, determines destination.

Unity Through Diversity!