A MONOLITH is a large single upright block of stone, especially one shaped into or serving as a monument or pillar. Figuratively, it is a large and impersonal political, corporate or social structure regarded as intractably indivisible and uniform. Webster defines MONOLITHIC
as: constituting a massive undifferentiated and often rigid whole <a monolithic society; exhibiting or characterized by often rigidly fixed uniformity<monolithic party unity. In holding racial reconciliation conversations, I have made it a point to state that:
The African-American community is NOT a monolith. I nor anyone can speak on behalf of ALL Black people. No one
asks a Caucasian person, "What do all white people think about..." There are too many individuals, unique feelings, experiences and thoughts. This freedom of personal expression is one of the things we've fought for.
It has taken many voices to get there: Dubois AND Washington; MLK AND
Malcolm X; Carson AND Sharpton; Condoleeza AND Oprah, etc. Surely Jackie
Robinson, Angela Davis, the Black Panthers, Ali, Beyonce and Spike Lee have all moved the
needle. Racism as an issue is so dire that leaders on platforms, legal
officers, freedom riders, boycotters, analysts, artists, martyrs and quiet dissenters are all needed to expel its
injustice.
Walter Lippman, an American writer, reporter and political commentator, coined the word 'stereotype' -a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person.
Sweeping generalizations of people often disagree with God's truth.
In Acts 10, the Apostle Peter had been indoctrinated that certain
foods and all Gentile people were unclean and to be avoided. He felt
justified in his stance until it was challenged by the Lord,
"Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." (vs. 15) Peter had to be told 3 times that his conditioning was not God's truth. He then had to come into community with the very people he was devoted to shunning, "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean."
(vs. 28) It wasn't just Peter, all the Jews believed this. Christ's
cause to make One New Humanity, (Eph. 2) was higher than Peter's
ideologies and self-interest. Peter had to accept and unify with
Cornelius and the other Gentiles who were vastly different in background
and upbringing than he. UNITY is not the same as UNIFORMITY. If I have to lose the core of who I am to join with you, to be relevant and heard, that's not unity or harmony.
This monolithic concept is also an issue with class, gender and even Christianity.
All poor, middle class or wealthy people don't think the same, nor do
all women or all Christian leaders. In fact, we address issues of
injustice and disenfranchisement very differently, and often do not
agree on methods or statements. However,
Christ followers have the opportunity/responsibility to agree on Jesus Christ as the Answer to all the 'ism's' root cause - SIN and evil
. He is the Way to reconcile with God and heal divisions. (2 Cor 5)
According to Wikipedia,
a monolithic church or a
rock -hewn church is
a church made from a single block of stone.
Because freestanding rocks of sufficient size are rare, such churches
are usually hewn or cut into the ground or into the side of a mountain.
Reminds me of Isaiah's admonition,
"Listen to me, all who
hope for deliverance--all who seek the LORD! Consider the rock from
which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined." (Isa. 51:1) The uniform New Testament revelation we all DO have is...
that ROCK is JESUS!
THANKS! to ALL our Sponsors, Vendors, Acts, Volunteers, Donors and Guests for HopeFest 2016!!
It was an AMAZING day!
SUNDAY WORSHIP 11:00 AM
The Great RoomSUNDAY CLASSES 9:30 AM
Youth Room
225 Wyoming Ave
Cincinnati OH 45215
(Presbyterian Church of Wyoming)
513-212-1131
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