Back from NCMSLC

This past weekend I attended the National Christian Multi-Cultural Student Leadership Conference. I along with 3 other staff members and some 50 plus students made the trip to Eastern University near Philadelphia, PA. As soon as we arrived the students received a lecture from Tony Campolo. Tony spoke on different controversial topics like homosexuality and illegal immigration. His theories on these topics were outside of the box and something you wouldn't think a "Christian" would say. But that was the purpose of Tony's talk, to start conversation and a mentality of approaching things in a different way. Students were exposed to several different speakers and presenters throughout the weekend.

I attended a workshop on racism and was challenged by the speakers theories and philosophies towards it. According to Ernest Crosby, when we get frustrated or angry when we see or experience racism it is because we personally haven't dealt with the pain and sores that we have within ourselves. We have sores and scabs over our hearts, and when we get rubbed in the wrong way the sores and scabs are exposed. We need to come to peace with ourselves and begin the healing process. We also are called to speak up when we see or experience racism. If someone tells a racial joke or when a racial act occurs we need to call them out. We are afraid to offend or to cause trouble but without exposing racism it will always be a part our society. Racism will die if we talk about it openly, and more and more people begin to understand why something is offensive.
I was convicted by Ernest' words, because I often step back or don't say anything when something bothers me racially. I got to put this conviction into action when a student from another college said a racial joke about Japanese people while presenting to the larger group. I pulled her aside and told her that I was offended by the joke. I'm not sure how if she really understood why I pulled her aside but I was happy that I talked to her about it and got my feelings off my chest. Hopefully she will think about what she says in the future.

My favorite part of the weekend overall was that I got to meet several students from Geneva and bond with them. It's amazing how one weekend brings people together. It was great to laugh and joke around with students in a different setting.