Every year at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL the focus of Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday is about race issues in America… and in our hearts. Bill Hybels tells a familiar story. It is about himself growing up in a white community and not learning or understanding much about race relations in America or how Christians were doing with the challenges of bridge-building.

This past Sunday he did something different. After his similar introduction he told a story. It was the life story of Martin Luther King, Jr.  He had invited the hundreds of middle school and high school kids from the church to come to “big church” this week to learn and understand more.  Check out this service or sermon at Willow Creek by clicking here. If you have 25 minutes, share this with your children…at least those over 10 year of age (from the grandmother). 
It seems we can assume that we as Christians have a biblical perspective on race. Looking at our country these past few years, it is only too obvious that we may not as we are still in the deep waters of racial conflict and misunderstanding each other across racial divides. Bill Hybels calls his second conversion to understanding the depth of our responsibility in race relations came 17 years ago when a black friend gave him a book to read. He said it changed everything…it is Divided by Faith by Michael O. Emerson. 

We believers in Jesus Christ need to be challenged to take this seriously. Let’s make 2018 a year that we grow in this area.