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I Don’t Believe in a Colorblind Christmas

As this year comes to a close, I can’t help but look back and marvel at all the miracles. In my personal life and in our world, there is much to celebrate but I also do not want to forget those whose lives were lost so tragically and unnecessarily this year.

This Christmas I grieve with those families. I mourn with the mothers and grandmothers who have watched their babies gunned down, beat down and tortured on the streets of our country because of the color of their skin.

In a very different context, I have lived a year of firsts after the death of my beloved, and I know how it stings. I know how perfectly magical holiday moments can turn so quickly into a memory that pierces the heart like an unexpected arrow.

My soul cries with the parents, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles who will taste the bittersweet of this season without the presence of that loved one. I have no desire to get in some debate today about police brutality or posturing presidential candidates. All I really want to do is bring dignity to these families by remembering their loss. This Christmas I want to invite you to join me in a holy lament.

When We Are Still Fighting For Reconciliation

I’ll be honest I’m downright incredulous that we are still fighting for civil rights and dignity for people in our country who have a browner skin tone. It’s 2015. I thought – or dreamed – we would be farther along by the time my babies were entering their school years. I long for justice, and I long for reconciliation.

I still remember my mama telling me about those marches for civil rights in the ’60s.

I still remember memorizing poignant lines of poetry by Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou when I was in grade school in the ’80s.

I still remember the day in the early ’90s when a bunch of white girls from my south side of Chicago neighborhood told me they couldn’t play with my best friend and me because we were brown girls.

I still remember writing that Voice of Democracy speech my senior year about how we need to embrace diversity and strive for unity as a nation.

I still remember pouring over speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when I was in college, searching for seeds of hope and grappling with my own racial identity.

These moments, these memories shape me.

Sadly, the racial atmosphere in our country remains electrically charged, and I find myself asking, “What can I say? How can I be a part of the healing? What are we as the Christian church going to do about it?”

When Colorblind Is An Excuse For Complacency

Here’s the reality: It’s so much easier to say we are colorblind and to march on with our carefully-crafted Christmas celebrations while families around us still suffer. Our silence on this issue of racism in the church is a sad testimony. We share a post on Facebook. We applaud others who speak out, but we don’t want to get too messy or controversial doing it ourselves.

Throughout my life, I have had people tell me they are colorblind. I have a hard time believing it. When are we going to acknowledge that colorblindness is in itself a function of white privilege? It’s a privilege to say, “I don’t see your skin color.” Implicit in that statement are the words: “I don’t have to see you for how you were created.”

You see, as a multi-racial woman cultural nuances are always on my radar. I can play cool and blend in but I still notice. Every time I walk into a women’s conference, I notice when I’m the minority in the room with more melanin in my skin. Every time I sit down with leaders from the church, I am well aware when the diversity around the table wanes. Every time I take my daughters to school or church or the park, I wonder what kind of racism (subtle or overt) they might encounter.

It’s time to stop being complacent in our fears and leverage white privilege or economic privilege for good to lift up the marginalized. In other words, people with lighter skin or from a higher economic background are often offered unspoken privileges in our society. It might be easier for them to get a job, a position on a committee, rent an apartment, etc. If that’s your background, you don’t need to be ashamed but you and I can use that privilege to speak up for others who do not enjoy the same privileges.

We can make the first move and reach out to those who are grieving and ask them to share their stories. We can bridge the gap by acknowledging our own biases and starting a conversation with someone different from ourselves. We can invite the foreigner, the refugee to our table. We can ask someone from a different culture to teach us how to cook, how to eat, how to worship in a new way.

Every time a Black sister graces the stage with her preaching or her singing, I celebrate. Every time a Korean pastor publishes a book or produces a podcast, I cheer. Every time my Salvadoran mama friend serves up pupusas and shares her passion for diversity in her son’s class, I well up with pride because this is the beginning of celebrating our true colors. It’s time we acknowledge our ethnicities and celebrate them together. I believe this is the pathway to healing our racial divide.

When a White Christmas Is More Than a Carol

I also want to challenge you to think about the Christmas story you are telling your kids and the decorations you are hanging in your homes.

Even in our Christmas décor we are communicating our prejudices. Nativity sets that boast a blond baby Jesus are unrealistic. Baby Jesus was a Jew. Dark hair and brown skin were a lot more likely. We are perpetuating a culture that is white-washed and inaccurate. When we overlook the cultural component of the Christmas story, we miss out on the rich and full understanding of the gospel.

I am returning to the example my mama set when I was growing up. She was not willing to settle for the porcelain white, blond-haired Jesus figurines they are still selling in the mall in 2015. She wanted Christmas to celebrate all cultures. She carefully arranged her collection of nativity sets from places she or her children visited around the world.

Now my daughters make the rounds at Nana’s house the same way I used to as a kid. Their eyes light up when they see the nativity made from a coconut shell carved in Haiti, or the Costa Rican creche formed by with homemade clay and hand-mixed paints, or the hand-crocheted nativity in vibrant colors from the Philippines.

When we read the story of Jesus birth on Christmas Eve, we have the opportunity to share about the child who crossed cultures to redeem us. We can invite a conversation about the kings from different nations who came to worship him. This is a perfect picture of unity in diversity.

When We Act Like Christmas People

I believe Christmas is a time to celebrate. That night when a baby made his way down that virgin mother’s birth canal something scandalous happened – Hope was born. God crossed into the human world, sending his Son through an oppressed, minority culture as a peace child. A war was raging between races, religions, classes and kings – much like war rages in our country and world today. Jesus came to end that war. He came to reconcile us to God and to each other.

It’s time for those in the church to be the example. It’s time for us to declare that we will not accept a colorblind Christmas anymore. It’s time for us Christians to live and breathe and speak and act like we are Christmas people. We need to believe in the Hope brought by our Christ-King and fight for it. We need to see people for who they are – unique, colorful, beautiful, chosen, adopted, and created in God’s image for His glory.

I believe God is calling us to be agents of healing in a broken world. We need to do the hardest work and lead the way in reconciliation. After all, that’s what the baby – the Christ – came to do when he was born in that dirty manger.

Image Credit:  Daniel Bunker, Associate Pastor

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December 14, 2015 Categories: GeneralTagged: christian blog, christianity, dorina lazo gilmore, hope, I Don’t Believe in a Colorblind Christmas, identity, inspirational

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  1. Tamara Hill says

    December 14, 2016 at 5:29 pm

    Beautifully expressed.

    Reply

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Meet Dorina

Aloha, friend! If you love stories, you are in the right place. I write about grief, glory, running, food, and more. I hope these words inspire you to chase after God’s glory in your life today!

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Today I got to watch my Zayla girl and her choir perform at CalPoly Performing Arts Center. What a great opportunity for these kids! I loved hearing all the choirs and the variety of pieces and styles they brought.

Afterwards we spent the afternoon with friends at Cayucos Beach and rounded out our day at one of my favorite restaurants Giuseppe’s at the Central Coast! Yummy!

These are the days I want to slow down, the days I want to savor and remember forever. My baby girl is not a baby girl anymore!

#oceantherapy #choirkid #momlife

View

Mar 25

Open
Today I got to watch my Zayla girl and her choir perform at CalPoly Performing Arts Center. What a great opportunity for these kids! I loved hearing all the choirs and the variety of pieces and styles they brought. 
Afterwards we spent the afternoon with friends at Cayucos Beach and rounded out our day at one of my favorite restaurants Giuseppe’s at the Central Coast! Yummy! 
These are the days I want to slow down, the days I want to savor and remember forever. My baby girl is not a baby girl anymore! 
#oceantherapy #choirkid #momlife
19 1

Several months ago, I invited my friend to join me for a pottery class at a new local studio for her birthday present. We both love to try new things and were intrigued by the experience of using a potter’s wheel to create something out of clay.

The process of forming clay on the wheel was longer and harder than it looks.

The trick was to keep adding water to keep the clay supple and moldable. We pressed, pulled, and pinched until that ball of clay eventually became a bowl or vase.

Metaphors for life abound in the pottery studio.

A few times, the teacher came over, stuck her hands in front of me, and started to work with my clay. At first, I wanted to take control of the clay myself. I wanted to learn by doing it myself. But soon I realized the value in surrendering to her expertise. In fact, I learned a lot from watching my teacher and her techniques.

The first surprising lesson was that it requires lots of water to make a clay pot on a wheel. Clay is naturally hard and heavy, but water makes it workable.

Our souls are much the same. We need consistent hydration. We need the living water that only Jesus offers. On our own we are heavy, brittle; we are dust. With Jesus’s living water, we are malleable clay.

{Read the full devotion at DorinaGlorygram.Substack.com} #pottery #clay #potter #biblestudy #bibleverse #encouragingwords

View

Mar 24

Open
Several months ago, I invited my friend to join me for a pottery class at a new local studio for her birthday present. We both love to try new things and were intrigued by the experience of using a potter’s wheel to create something out of clay. 
The process of forming clay on the wheel was longer and harder than it looks.
The trick was to keep adding water to keep the clay supple and moldable. We pressed, pulled, and pinched until that ball of clay eventually became a bowl or vase. 
Metaphors for life abound in the pottery studio.
A few times, the teacher came over, stuck her hands in front of me, and started to work with my clay. At first, I wanted to take control of the clay myself. I wanted to learn by doing it myself. But soon I realized the value in surrendering to her expertise. In fact, I learned a lot from watching my teacher and her techniques.
The first surprising lesson was that it requires lots of water to make a clay pot on a wheel. Clay is naturally hard and heavy, but water makes it workable. 
Our souls are much the same. We need consistent hydration. We need the living water that only Jesus offers. On our own we are heavy, brittle; we are dust. With Jesus’s living water, we are malleable clay. 
{Read the full devotion at DorinaGlorygram.Substack.com} #pottery #clay #potter #biblestudy #bibleverse #encouragingwords
30 4

Such a good conversation tonight with @sarahrubiobooks about her new book, Her Story, Her Stength: 50 God Empowered Women of the Bible (@zonderkidz )

This is a book I wish I had when I was a young person. I love the way Sarah illuminates the stories and strengths of these diverse women in the Bible and how their stories point us back to God.

We pull back the curtain a bit tonight and dish about how Sarah got the idea for the book, the trials she faced during the writing, and the glory she experienced during the process!

👉🏾Which Ezer story is your favorite? Share in the comments about the woman from the Bible who inspires you! 📚

View

Mar 23

Open
Such a good conversation tonight with @sarahrubiobooks about her new book, Her Story, Her Stength: 50 God Empowered Women of the Bible (@zonderkidz )
This is a book I wish I had when I was a young person. I love the way Sarah illuminates the stories and strengths of these diverse women in the Bible and how their stories point us back to God.
We pull back the curtain a bit tonight and dish about how Sarah got the idea for the book, the trials she faced during the writing, and the glory she experienced during the process!
👉🏾Which Ezer story is your favorite? Share in the comments about the woman from the Bible who inspires you! 📚
21 3

I’m so excited to chat with @sarahrubiobooks on my Global Glory Chasers broadcast tomorrow about experiencing God’s glory through writing and reading kids books. Sarah’s new book is Her Story, Her Strength: 50 God-Empowered Women of the Bible. Join us at 5 pm PT | 8 pm ET here on IGlive!

Sarah Parker Rubio edits children’s and young adult books by day and writes them by night. She was born in the United States, grew up in Costa Rica and Ecuador, and now has a bilingual and bicultural family with her husband, Colombian composer Gary Rubio. They live in Cincinnati with their three wonderful children and two sassy cats.

In a world that too often tells girls that they are not enough, Her Story, Her Strength uses biblical retellings and reflections that include the historical context behind each story to remind young women that they have a God who loves them deeply and empowers them to live and love like he does. For any girl ages 8 and up who is asking questions about her worth, identity, and place in the world and church, this colorful and engaging book provides a positive, loving, and scriptural lens that helps them interpret the messages they receive from their peers, media, and society.

#kidlit #womenshistorymonth #womenofthebible #womensupportingwomen

View

Mar 22

Open
I’m so excited to chat with @sarahrubiobooks on my Global Glory Chasers broadcast tomorrow about experiencing God’s glory through writing and reading kids books. Sarah’s new book is Her Story, Her Strength: 50 God-Empowered Women of the Bible. Join us at 5 pm PT | 8 pm ET here on IGlive!
Sarah Parker Rubio edits children’s and young adult books by day and writes them by night. She was born in the United States, grew up in Costa Rica and Ecuador, and now has a bilingual and bicultural family with her husband, Colombian composer Gary Rubio. They live in Cincinnati with their three wonderful children and two sassy cats.
In a world that too often tells girls that they are not enough, Her Story, Her Strength uses biblical retellings and reflections that include the historical context behind each story to remind young women that they have a God who loves them deeply and empowers them to live and love like he does. For any girl ages 8 and up who is asking questions about her worth, identity, and place in the world and church, this colorful and engaging book provides a positive, loving, and scriptural lens that helps them interpret the messages they receive from their peers, media, and society.
#kidlit #womenshistorymonth #womenofthebible #womensupportingwomen
38 1

“Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory,” Mama sings. 🎶

Glory?, Zayla thinks, wrinkling her nose, “Mama, we talk and sing about glory at church, but what exactly is glory?”

“Well, that’s a good question,” Mama says with a broad smile. “Let’s go look for it.”

____

These are the opening lines to my new children’s book, Chasing God’s Glory. When my three daughters were little, we started going on glory-chasing hunts together. This was the way we would lift our heads to see God at work on ordinary days and difficult days.

The word glory is mentioned more than 500 times in Scripture. If we study the scriptures that mention it, we discover God’s glory is the very essence of who God is, His character. Glory is what sets God apart. It’s the way God reveals Himself to us. It’s His presence.

Back in 2014, I chose the word glory as my word of the year. Little did I know that this single, five-letter word would be the thing God would use to transform me, inspire me, lift me, and carry me through the most difficult year of my life. This would be the beginning of tracing His glory story in the most unexpected narrative.

I had to train myself to notice  God’s glory around me through tragedy and triumph. That was the year my husband was diagnosed with stage four cancer. That was the year my lover leaped into Heaven – the ultimate Glory – leaving me a widow with three small children. That was the year I experienced God’s glory in little girl giggles, home-cooked meals, and road trips. That was the year He showed up for us through our community who served us, fed us, collected money for medical bills, and lifted us.

God has shown me that glory is the very beginning of the story and also the grand finale…

{Read more about it at @incourage today and enter for a chance to win my new book!} 🫶🏾🚴📚🍀🌊🥰

#chasinggodsglory #glorychasers #kidslit #picturebook @waterbrookmultnomahkids #newbook #glory #creation

View

Mar 21

Open
“Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory,” Mama sings. 🎶 
Glory?, Zayla thinks, wrinkling her nose, “Mama, we talk and sing about glory at church, but what exactly is glory?”
“Well, that’s a good question,” Mama says with a broad smile. “Let’s go look for it.” 
____ 
These are the opening lines to my new children’s book, Chasing God’s Glory. When my three daughters were little, we started going on glory-chasing hunts together. This was the way we would lift our heads to see God at work on ordinary days and difficult days. 
The word glory is mentioned more than 500 times in Scripture. If we study the scriptures that mention it, we discover God’s glory is the very essence of who God is, His character. Glory is what sets God apart. It’s the way God reveals Himself to us. It’s His presence. 
Back in 2014, I chose the word glory as my word of the year. Little did I know that this single, five-letter word would be the thing God would use to transform me, inspire me, lift me, and carry me through the most difficult year of my life. This would be the beginning of tracing His glory story in the most unexpected narrative. 
I had to train myself to notice  God’s glory around me through tragedy and triumph. That was the year my husband was diagnosed with stage four cancer. That was the year my lover leaped into Heaven – the ultimate Glory – leaving me a widow with three small children. That was the year I experienced God’s glory in little girl giggles, home-cooked meals, and road trips. That was the year He showed up for us through our community who served us, fed us, collected money for medical bills, and lifted us. 
God has shown me that glory is the very beginning of the story and also the grand finale…
{Read more about it at @incourage today and enter for a chance to win my new book!} 🫶🏾🚴📚🍀🌊🥰
#chasinggodsglory #glorychasers #kidslit #picturebook @waterbrookmultnomahkids #newbook #glory #creation
53 14
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