live magazine September-October 2020

live A Baptist resource for women on a mission September - October 2020 · $3.50

CONVERSATIONS about RACE

live

in this issue COLUMNS/RESOURCES

2 CONNECTING connect to MISSION 3 A Call to Fast for Racial Justice For Such a Time as This 23 Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer Monday, November 2, 2020 11 Chosen | Holy | Called Rev. Della D. Bost ministry perspectives 5 Clearing the Air We Breathe We are ALL part of God’s great design voices of colour 7 Where Do You Draw the Line?

A Conversation with Carol Parsons

9 D[I]ASPORA Understanding my ethnic narrative 13 Awkward Place On being White and married to a Black man 16 How to be an Anti-Racist Foodie Come to the table 18 Kairos Action No one is scary BIBLE STUDY 20 Chosen | Holy | Called Precious in His sight connect to others 12 A History Moment Baptist Women - BLACK HISTORY 23 We Remember

Cover photo: Unsplash.com/Sunyu

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cONNECTING This issue is the second major step forward in CBWOQ’s commitment to advocacy in the area of racism.

I know that many of you may not live, work or worship in racially diverse settings and you would not consider yourself racist. If this is you, joining us in our advocacy work may be your first step in uncovering why Black, Indigenous or other People of Colour are neither seen nor heard in your town, workplace or church.

To begin, we’ve outlined some next steps for you.

Pray and fast. Let’s start by putting on the full armour of God. We strongly encourage you to work through the guide we’ve published in this issue. This guide is also on our website.

Share this issue of live magazine with family and friends. Direct them to our website where they can download the issue for free. Choose one article and use it as a springboard for conversation.

Visit our website at baptistwomen.com/ causes/racial-justice. You’ll find a glossary of terms, videos, podcasts, links to great books and more. This page is where you’ll download this issue.

Join our Facebook group (Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec) and/or follow us on Instagram (@cbwoq). We plan to host Zoom conversations with experts and allies; host a book club and post short Facebook chats led by staff on topics like privilege, White fragility and how to become anti-racist.

Renée James 

VOLUME 93, NUMBER 5

live (formerly The Link & Visitor) began as The Canadian Missionary Link (1878) and Baptist Visitor (1890). Published bi-monthly by Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec 5 International Blvd., Etobicoke, ON M9W 6H3 416-620-2954 Fax 416-622-2308 bwoq@baptist.ca baptistwomen.com Executive director Diane McBeth Editor and communications director Renée James 416-651-8967 rsejames@gmail.com Art director Donna Lee Pancorvo of GEPM Group Inc. (gepmgroup.com) Contributors Rev. Della Bost, Linda Ellsworth, Lis Cristina Lam, Darlene Lucas, Laura Matthews, Tabitha Mui, Evie Klein Whittingham Circulation and subscriptions Subscriptions 416-620-2954 live@baptist.ca Subscriptions Individual: $20* (direct or through promoters) US & overseas: $39 All currency in $C unless otherwise noted.

The publication of comments, opinions or advertising does not necessarily imply CBWOQ agreement or endorsement. All material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in print or on websites without permission. Advertising inquiries and freelance submissions should be addressed to the editor.

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ISSN 2293-5096.

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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada for our publishing activities. *includes HST

A CALL TO FAST FOR RACIAL JUSTICE

CONNECT TO MISSION

For Such a Time as This The story of Esther teaches us that prayer and fasting rightly precede advocacy. Our friends, family, colleagues and leaders who are Black, Indigenous or People of Colour depend on our sustained and intelligent engagement to end systemic reacism across all spheres.

The Plan Pick five days in October. We suggest Monday, October 19 – Friday, October 22.

Gather a journal or paper, pen and your Bible.

On each of those days: • Fast. Ask God to show you how to fast on these days: giving up one meal; liquids only until supper; no television or web surfing. He will tell you.

• Read through the day’s passage and Scripture prompt.

• Write down what gets your attention from the passage and Scripture. As you write, you slow down and God begins to have room to speak.

• Pray the Scripture. The Holy Spirit may lead you to confess; to pray for someone; to give thanks; to ask for guidance using the words of Scripture.

• End with an action. Read the action prompt. What is God asking you to do or be? Write that down. Keep it simple. Then commit.

Day 1 - Ethnicity We don’t often hear sermons or do Bible studies focused on the topic of ethnicity and race. Perhaps we don’t think it’s relevant to our faith or we are afraid of offending people. We don’t want to seem “political.” More often than not we don’t know how to talk about race and ethnicity and so we withdraw from conversations around those topics.

However, the realm of ethnicity and race is not exempt from the influence of sin. Our world is in need of the gospel—a good news that is not afraid of addressing ethnic differences. And we need Christian voices to call for change and reform—with Jesus as

the transforming centre of it all.

Scripture prompt: Revelation 7:9-10 (NLT): After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.

And they were shouting with a great roar: “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”

Action: What can you do to see the beauty of other cultures?

All text was extracted from a 40-day prayer and reflection guide, published by Missio Portland, that was part of the church’s call to seek God’s heart for justice and racial reconciliation during August and September. The guide was retrieved from missioportland.org.

This is an excellent resource for groups and churches and you’ll find a link to the full guide on our website at baptistwomen.com/ causes/racial-justice.

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CONNECT TO MISSION

Day 2 - Prejudice

Day 4 - Restoration

Anyone hurt by a member of a different ethnic or racial group is at risk for developing prejudice against all members of that group. Even slight offenses may powerfully reinforce old biases. The conflict between Israel and Edom shows this. (Genesis 27, Exodus 17, Numbers 10, Deuteronomy 25, Psalm 83, Amos 1, Obadiah 1).

Rather than furthering stereotypes, we can reach out and seek better understanding.

Scripture prompt: 1 John 4:20 (NLT): If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

Action: What can you do to guard against prejudice and keep it from compromising your integrity as a Christ follower?

Our Bible study in this issue looks at Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well (page 20). In choosing to speak with her, Jesus redeems ethnicity for His disciples and for the woman. Ethnicity no longer limits mission. In the Samaritan woman, ethnicity becomes the vehicle, the sacred vessel in which God’s story comes to light.

When we know our ethnic stories and the narratives of those around us, we begin to realize the complexity of values, scars, trigger points and words to avoid.

Scripture prompt: John 3:16 (MSG): This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

Action: What assumptions and idolatries can you lay down to allow Christ to bring healing to you?

Day 3 - Extremism In Galatians, Paul recounts his dramatic meeting with Christ on the road to Damascus and his subsequent conversion. God did more than reverse Paul’s theology though. Imagine Paul’s reaction when Ananias informs him that God had chosen him (Paul) to take the message of Christ to the Gentiles —an unthinkable task for a man wholly committed to living by all the laws and traditions of Judaism.

Paul’s dramatic transformation challenges us to examine the prejudices that keep us from living out God’s love for the world.

Scripture prompt: Galatians 3:28 (NLT): There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Action: When you find racial and cultural biases where you live, work or worship, do you challenge that thinking? Can God use you to take His name to people whom you consider outsiders?

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Day 5 - Action There is no clear and right definition of justice that excludes God. The Bible condemns injustice because God is just. As the ultimate lawgiver, He strongly opposes injustice.

Biblical justice is rooted in seeking the welfare of those unable to fend for themselves—those who frequently get abused and treated unjustly. These are the poor, widows, orphans, foreigners, and yes, those who face systematic oppression based on race. It is our duty to take action. We can’t just talk about justice. We must do justice.

Scripture prompt: Micah 6:8 (NiRV): The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must treat people fairly. You must love others faithfully. And you must be very careful to live the way your God wants you to.

Action: What are some practical ways you can “do justice” in your life?

MINISTRY PERSPECTIVES

Clearing the Air We Breathe We are ALL part of God’s great design

Darlene Lucas

by Darlene Lucas Darlene attends Weston Park Baptist Church.

Anti-Black racism is nothing new, but hearing George Floyd cry out “Momma, Momma” hit home in a way I could never have envisioned.

To hear such a twisted cry of terror and hope impacted me as a Black mother of biracial sons and daughters. As a Black woman and a Black leader in a blended Canadian Baptist congregation, I am very protective of those I call family.

As a former community leader for 30-plus years, I am so conscious that violent acts of abuse in and against the Black community need to be acknowledged with action and must not be ignored. And yet I also know that often it is the White voices that seem to get noticed for their views on racism while the Black leaders work behind the scenes to facilitate change.

Serving as the Deacon Chair in a diverse and fairly culturally-balanced church has been a humbling experience and gift. Our members love each other and that has always been a wonderful reminder of the blessings and hope we read about in the Bible. For many of us, our church, located in a designated high-priority neighbourhood in Toronto, is our second family, but as many of us know, families have their challenges.

Family members can be quite different from each other.

Over the last few months since Floyd’s murder I have had hard conversations with several church members about anti-Black racism: How do we, as a church, stand in solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters? Are we truly prepared to deal with such a sensitive issue? Is there really racism in our church? Who will lead this charge? Could we really be open to conversations on anti-Black racism that would effectively change people’s view on race?

The Christian community can be a difficult, sensitive place where many see conflict as not being caring nor loving of one’s neighbour. Let’s be honest. In the healthiest churches, Christians can have a hard time live • September - October 2020

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MINISTRY PERSPECTIVES

What are next steps? getting along with each other; we are all flawed people. For many of us, speaking out, not turning away and looking inward aren’t tasks we look forward to, but never has there been a better time to stop and listen to the different voices that are searching for answers and hope.

As one of the few Black women leaders in my church’s history, I feel proud to be a beacon of change and yet I feel overwhelmed with the responsibility. I know that I am responsible for addressing anti-racism, oppression or any injustice . . . no matter how uncomfortable that may be. John 8:12 says: “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” The BIG question for me today is simple: How is the Church that light to the community in these times of darkness?

How does change happen? What do I see as the next steps for our church family?

First, we need to learn to listen better to each other’s truths with love and respect. Second, we must be ready to confront the issue of anti-Black racism and have those hard discussions while allowing God to direct and shape the conversation. And finally, we must recognize that there are blessings in pain when we allow ourselves to look inward and be vulnerable to “becoming” who God has desired us to be with each other. We give the world a front row seat to the grace of God for they see Him through us.

Our faith tells us that Jesus is the source of triumph during the dark seasons. “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:5).

God doesn’t squander a hurt. He uses our hurts to shape us, direct us and reveal not only who we are but Whose we are.  6

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CBWOQ is saddened to report the passing in August of Rev. Tom Morikawa. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife, Audrey Morikawa, and the rest of the family. Audrey served as Executive Director of CBWOQ from 1975 to 1997.

Bernice’s Picks . . .

Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative practices of the black church

by Barbara Holmes $29.99 A Springtime People: Christian Perspectives on Living from a Senior’s Point of View

by Bruce Neal, retired CBOQ pastor $20 ReadOn Bookstore is open online. Order online, call or email.

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All titles available from ReadOn Bookstore 5 International Blvd.

Etobicoke, ON M9W 6H3 Tel: 416-620-2934 Fax: 416-234-8840 E-mail: books@readon.ca readon.ca

VOICES OF COLOUR

Where Do You Draw The Line?

A conversation with Carol Parsons, president of Canadian Baptist Women, and Women in Focus (Canadian Baptists of Western Canada)

Carol Parsons lives on an acre or two of farming land in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. She is Métis, from Peguis First Nation Treaty 1 Territory in Manitoba and has always identified as Indigenous. A former support worker with family care agencies in Manitoba and most recently a youth care practitioner in a group home for youth girls, she’s the first to note that relative to Manitoba’s population at large, Indigenous girls have made up a disproportionately higher percentage of the population she’s served. live magazine sat down with Carol to talk about racism.

live magazine: You’ve seen and read the global reaction to George Floyd’s death—the peaceful protests, toppling of statues, etc. How have you been processing all of these events?

Carol: The word that comes to me is unrest. I’ve become agitated and I’ve felt helpless. Like everybody else, I have lots of questions. I know you have to have hard conversations but you tend not to want to deal with it. live magazine: Tell us about your experience of systemic racism.

Carol: One of the schools I went to was an Indigenous school in Winnipeg.

I remember kids coming up to me and saying “Why are you here? You’re not Indian.” So I grew up not knowing where I fit in. live magazine: But you are Métis.

Carol: I was either too white or too brown. So where did I fit in this world?

Where was home? Colonization happened to our Indigenous brothers and sisters. So I could see how my whiteness could threaten those kids.

And yet I considered myself Indigenous. I did have a few friends who stood up for me—angels in disguise. live magazine: How else did you experience racism?

Carol: I’d hear other people having conversations, talking about Indigenous people. They didn’t know that I am Métis and I identify as Indigenous. I remember saying once, “I am Indigenous,” and that shut the conversation down. But this is the thing. Where do we draw the line? live magazine: What do you mean?

Carol: My cousin-in-law is Black but his mother was full Treaty Indian. I’m Indigenous but I look White. So where do we draw the line? We can put Indigenous people in a line and they will all look different and yet they are all Indigenous. live • September - October 2020

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women’s conferences like the 2017 Assembly of North American Baptist Women’s Union in Toronto.

I just loved seeing all the different women there. The only question I asked God was, “Where are my Indigenous sisters?”

Carol Parsons

live magazine: What are some of the hard lessons you’ve learned because you’ve been racialized?

Carol: What just came to me when you asked that question is that I had to learn not to be rebellious.

I learned that I wanted to be a peacemaker and I learned how to walk away . . . but with my head held up, not down. My mother and a small circle of friends taught me that. live magazine: How did God make Himself known to you through those experiences?

Carol: Through prayer and through community. Something shifted in my questions to God about belonging. It happened when I stepped into ministry with Women In Focus, began sitting with Canadian Baptist Women and showed up at 8

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live magazine: Wow! Carol: It was almost like God had to take all of my longings for home and for a purpose and put me out there . . . because I was asking, “Why? Who’s there for the hurting and the wounded? Who’s walking alongside them?” And God showed me, through these settings, that He is at work in the world. live magazine: What do you want to share with readers about becoming anti-racist?

Carol: The Church has to be a voice for the voiceless. I’m looking at it broadly at this point: anti-Black racism, missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. We are supposed to stand up for justice and I hope we can start speaking up and out about injustice at every opportunity we’re given, whether at church, conferences or retreats. live magazine: Are you able to do that?

Carol: I could stand up and speak at my church if I had mentors; people who could teach me how to do it. It also starts with me having those one-on-one

conversations with people— making sure that my heart is in the right place. A few years ago I wouldn’t have been able to even have this conversation with you. live magazine: What could justice look like moving forward from this moment in our collective history?

Carol: Prayer. We can all continue to pray for racial healing.

Not hiding. I’m Métis and I am a daughter of the King and He created me in His image. No matter our race, we are created in God’s image. So if you’re hiding your nationality, please don’t.

Forgiveness. I’ve forgiven some situations quicker than others. But when I look back at my life I think: “If God can forgive me of everything in my life, how can I hold that against other people and not forgive?” You find freedom when you forgive; freedom to move forward.

Renée James 

VOICES OF COLOUR

D[i]aspora Understanding my ethnic narrative

I am a 竹昇 (pronounced jooksing), a Cantonese term which is used to describe a Chinese person who was born in a country with a dominant Western culture.

The first character, jook, means bamboo and is used for this term because the compartments in a bamboo stalk prevent water flowing from one end to the other. Like bamboo, there is no single culture that flows through jook-sings. They do not belong to either Western or Chinese cultures. Although I was raised in a Cantonese-speaking household, my parents reminded me: “You are born in Canada, so you are Canadian.”

Being a member of a diaspora community is complex.

Membership is often rooted in a sense of loss, regardless of whether the decision to leave was voluntary or not. Identifying with this membership, however, becomes problematic when applied to Chinese people who were not born in China: how am I an overseas Chinese person, when the term “overseas Chinese” for me is someone who was born in China?

Diaspora implies that I acknowledge a country different from the one I currently live in to be my home. But Canada is my home.

by Tabitha Mui Tabitha is an Uptick Baptist Women alumni and a recent MDiv graduate of Tyndale University and Seminary.

Tabitha Mui

Does that make me less Chinese than a Chinese person from China?

As I observe other second-generation Chinese Canadians, I notice that we fall within a spectrum of either being fully assimilated with Western culture or figuring out how to negotiate a space to belong with other Chinese Canadians. These complexities remained mainly at the stage of navel-gazing until COVID-19 hit and George Floyd was murdered.

“Go back to China!” Recent articles and interviews have documented how Chinese people and other Asians experienced racist attacks in response to China’s role in the spread of COVID-19. AntiAsian actions are not unfamiliar in Canada’s history: the Chinese Exclusion Act that passed on July 1, 1923 is remembered by many Chinese Canadians as Humiliation Day. Deep inside, I wanted to believe that these attacks were isolated incidents. I was both ashamed and afraid–ashamed of being affiliated with a country that holds a very different worldview than my live • September - October 2020

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My repentance and activism must go hand-in-hand.

own and afraid that my loved ones and I might be the next targets.

I suddenly realized how fragile racial privilege is and how it provides an illusion of safety and security. My silence to racial oppression could no longer keep me and my loved ones safe. It was at this point that I paused, realizing that my newfound sensitization to systemic oppression came out of selfishness. My communal mindset had only extended to the wellbeing of those within the borders of my ethnicity: “Let us look after ourselves, and let others take care of themselves.”

A contributor to this mindset, I believe, is the proximity to power and privilege that has been given to Chinese Canadians (thanks to the model minority myth), of which I am a benefactor. The model minority myth is one in which those in power (i.e. White people) will use the successes of certain

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minority groups to disclaim unfair treatment against other minority groups. For example, if a Black person highlights the lack of opportunities for advancement in an organization for those who are non-White, the White person will point to the number of Asians who hold managerial roles to prove that diversity and inclusion are values that are upheld by management. Therefore Asians who are successful within the system are held as the model minority for other minority groups and, as a result, enjoy a certain degree of privilege and power that would otherwise be non-existent.

As a Chinese person who has benefited from this myth, I must face the complexities of my role as an oppressor. I can only stand in true solidarity with fellow Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Colour, when I acknowledge and repent how I have been compliant within

this racial hierarchy and begin to actively resist the temptations (i.e. power and privilege) that this role offers. In short, my repentance and activism must go hand-in-hand.

As I reflect on all that God has revealed to me during this season, one thing is clear: there is nowhere to “go back” to. This is home and I need to embrace being both Chinese and Canadian.

But there is more. God has shown me the complexities of my cultural identity as it interplays with other cultures and He is now inviting me to observe how interactions that exist within certain systems and structures do not reflect the values of His kingdom: “You have come so far, My daughter, and I have shown you My heart. Will you allow Me to form you for My kingdom, trusting that I made you a secondgeneration Chinese Canadian for a purpose?” 

CONNECT TO MISSION

CHOSEN | HOLY | CALLED Rev. Della D. Bost Tell us about how you experienced God’s call to be ordained.

The first time I remember a calling on my life was when I had just become the Sunday School president of the Amherstburg Regular Missionary Baptist Association (ARMBA). During a youth program at our annual session the Holy Spirit moved. The Lord told me: “Feed my lambs.” After a seven-year term as president, I felt the Lord leading me to a deeper level of teaching His Word. Being an evangelist for our

Rev. Bost has twice served First Regular Baptist Church in Dresden, Ontario as interim pastor. She pastored at First Baptist Church Puce for nine years and for just over a year, she’s pastored First Baptist Church Windsor.

Association gave me opportunity for more speaking engagements and experience in the pulpit.

During a funeral service for a church member, when I was in the pulpit assisting my pastor, I distinctly heard God’s voice. “Preach my Word,” He directed me. Twice.

What was your process of responding to that call?

Ever since I can remember, I was taught that women did not pastor.

At first, I was afraid to tell anyone, so it was a long, hard process for me. I had to decide within myself to answer God’s call. It wasn’t until I retired that I took courses at McMaster University and Toronto Baptist Seminary to complete my course requirements for ordination in the Canadian Baptist family.

Being ordained by my association and my home church, First Baptist Church Puce, was one of the most exciting times in my ministry.

How has the Spirit kneaded holiness into your ministry?

Holiness was kneaded into my ministry by the lifelong example of my father who taught me to walk upright, to love God and always reflect Christ’s image. Holiness is more than acting, thinking and being holy. It is having that deep

personal daily relationship with Christ.

What has challenged you most about declaring God’s goodness?

My greatest challenge is teaching and preaching without my family responding to God’s goodness, grace, mercy and forgiveness. It is difficult to watch when people walk away without putting their faith and trust in God. But as Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 3:6, some plant and others water, knowing that God gives the increase.

What would you want a young Baptist woman seeking ordination to know?

Ministry is challenging and ambitious. There are many situations that require your utmost readiness.

Have unshakable faith and put a “But God . . . ” in your spirit. Joshua 1:7, 9 are verses God gave me when I began my ministry and ones I hang onto even to this day. I feel deep joy in sharing them with you.

Remember, you are a child of the Most High God. You are who God says you are: strong, loved, forgiven, created with purpose, victorious, powerful, and fearfully and wonderfully made. Go ahead . . . my sista’ . . . preach the Word! 

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A History Moment

Baptist Women • Black History The Women’s Missionary Auxiliary - Amherstburg Regular Missionary Baptist Association 137 years in the service of the Lord

The Women’s Home and Foreign Women’s Society of the Amherstburg Regular Missionary Baptist Association (ARMBA) was formed in 1882.

Sis. Elizabeth Shadd Shreve of North Buxton organized this group of women. She became the group’s first president when she moved to Canada after the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850.* Women came together in 1883 for their first meeting.

The women of the Society were highly enthused with true missionary spirit. They travelled by horseback through brush and roads that were almost impossible. They ministered to the sick, collected and delivered food and clothing to the needy, preached the gospel and prayed for lost souls.

In the 1800s, the object of this Women’s group was to assist the Home Mission Board in its efforts to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ as written in Matthew 25:31-46; to walk alongside churches and contribute funds to the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec (now Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec). Today, the group’s purpose and aim is to spread the Gospel of our Lord at home and abroad, using modern methods and technology, exalting our Lord and Saviour with the message of God’s love.

In 1996 the group’s name was changed to the Women’s Missionary Auxiliary of ARMBA. Over the last 70-100 years, the group has sent and supported missionaries to West Africa and Haiti. Others have served in England and

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Bangladesh. Members have supported women who are church planters in Ontario or active in children’s ministry in British Columbia. Along with the Western Association they helped lay the foundation for Matthew House, Windsor.

Many of the missionaries in the groups today watched their mothers and grandmothers work tirelessly to assist the poor, hungry and needy.

Members have a keen awareness that God is up to something and they desire to be the instrument God uses to complete the work that was started so many years ago. *Reference: ARMBA publication Pathfinders of Liberty and Truth by Dorothy Shadd Shreve.

Rev Della D. Bost 

Home and Foreign Missionary Society Photo courtesy Della Bost

VOICES OF COLOUR

The Whittingham family

Awkward Place On being White and married to a Black man

by Evie Klein Whittingham Evie worships at First Baptist Church Ingersoll where her husband pastors

I am a middle-aged White woman married over 30 years to a Black man who pastors a Canadian Baptist congregation in a rural Ontario town. We have three adult children living and working in Toronto. I imagine that more often than others, I am in this awkward place of being conscious of being White, conscious of having my relationships with my husband and children under scrutiny, and conscious of the subtle and insidious ways family, friends, others, and I are biased, unknowingly or not, against one another. live • September - October 2020

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“Secretly, I prayed.”

When Trevor and I started dating I was prepared for the double-take when we went out. But I was perplexed when we announced our engagement and a good friend said it was great, because, ‘He isn’t that Black.’ He was an exception—implying that others who were Jamaican or Black, didn’t fit in or measure up.

This made me question my own motives. I loved Trevor because he valued my intelligence, wasn’t intimidated by my strengths and encouraged my character

Ways to Speak Listen and Speak Go to God for emotional strength. Ask Him to equip you with supernatural grace, lucid thinking and wisdom. Go to Him for whatever you need.

Consider what White privilege looks like, sounds like and feels like for your non-White neighbour.

Listen to Black people, even if they are angry. Hear people out with openness and grace. Grieve with them over their loss and pain without making it about you.

Don’t judge. Don’t be defensive. Examine your own heart. I’m sure you haven’t deliberately insulted someone, but maybe you find Black people hard to get along with because they can seem so intense about their identity.

Be brave. Call out injustice and unfairness. Mediate. Is the conflict at work only a personality difference? Or is it misunderstanding and impatience with others who have a different language, culture, style, appearance or approach?

Resist the urge to make scapegoats of people who are not your own. Jesus is our scapegoat. His death absolves all people who seek Him. And even those who apparently reject Him are made in His image and have an unfinished journey that will take them to the cross.

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development. Would I have considered him as a life partner if he hadn’t assimilated so well into Canadian culture, losing his accent, wearing White dude clothes (except for plaids), putting himself through college, and adopting the social norms of our mostly White peers?

Returning home from our honeymoon in Jamaica, I experienced what many Black women as partners of Black men have to endure—extra attention by a Canada Customs agent who conducted a “random” search of my luggage . . . suspicious that Trevor or I had hidden contraband in my luggage. It was unnerving and humiliating to have my handworked souvenirs cut and ruined. Trevor was unfazed: “Just be cool.”

For decades in our church, people of colour had never been in upfront leadership. The Lord redeemed that situation through our pastor and others who were antiracist in their actions, finally calling Trevor to become the church’s first Black deacon. That didn’t surprise me. Good men and women, Black and White, had mentored Trevor.

They had loved him as a son and brother. But I knew . . . those who broke the ground before him had endured much.

Secretly, I prayed for our children to be born beautiful. Would they face adversity for who they were? I took care to keep them presentable and attractive wherever

VOICES OF COLOUR

we went and equipped them in the social graces. “Is she your daughter? Isn’t she gorgeous? I just love her halo of curls,” I heard as my children grew up. I was flattered and proud but something niggled.

As my children grew older, people consistently made uninvited pronouncements on whether they were Black or White, Jamaican or German, opining on their differences, on their identity. But my children never understood why they would have to choose. To this day they don’t.

These are superficial acts, but they underscore how impactful other people’s perceptions and reactions are. These acts all affected how I interacted with teachers, doctors and any professionals. We had social, educational and financial advantages but it was draining to keep on advocating for our children at school and elsewhere with so many bureaucratic and systemic barriers. I learned that so much more is at stake for a child who is noticed by strangers and

live simply give generously

friends for their skin colour, hair and any signs of non-conformity.

Black-on-Black and White-on-Black violence isn’t theoretical for us. Our friends and family have been directly impacted by this reality. We live with the real possibility that someone in our extended family can be harmed, whether innocent or due to poor choices, any time, any day. I live with an underlying anxiety that even my son, who wears his hair clipped short and dresses like the business professional he is, could be stopped for a traffic violation and face harassment and worse for driving while Black.

“Cast all your cares on Him,” comforts me greatly, but I want more power to deliver hope and healing. I want that awkward place I live in to disappear because it’s been filled with righteous words and just actions.

It’s been filled with peace. It’s become a place where I know my children, my husband and I have finally been seen. And heard. 

CONTEST - PRIZES! Become a monthly donor to Baptist Women and invite your groups and friends to become monthly donors as well.

You’ll receive a thank you gift.

But that’s not all!

We’ve lined up some great goodies and grand prizes for the individual and group who sign up the most monthly donors by December 25!

Don’t miss out.

Find out how our monthly donors impact lives at baptistwomen.com/causes/impact-stories

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VOICES OF COLOUR

How to Be an Anti-Racist Foodie Come to the table

When I was in high school, my parents left their well-paying day jobs and returned to school full-time. We moved across country to unfamiliar terrain: Atlanta, Georgia. Our new home in graduate student housing was a red brick building surrounded by claybaking heat.

The neighbours above us were a young couple with a baby. They were not friendly. Almost immediately, they commented that our food smelled like garbage.

To them, the fumes were noxious enough to make their eyes water and forcibly induce coughing. No one had ever complained about smells between apartments before. But the couple insisted; the ventilation pipes were bringing foul food odours from our apartment into theirs.

by Lis Cristina Lam Lis is the creator of The Subversive Table, a food blog.

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We were embarrassed but my parents accommodated: they used air freshener, cooked more Western food; cooked less strongsmelling food; opened windows and doors (to let the smells out), and so on. But it wasn’t good enough. They kept complaining, no matter what we did.

After a tension-filled year, they moved out. When a new family arrived, we braced ourselves for similar complaints. Only they never materialized. Instead, the smells “magically” disappeared.

After that, we understood. Our neighbours’ complaints had not been about our food—they had been about us. They didn’t call us Chinks or Gooks but you could tell that’s how they felt. When we passed each other on the sidewalk, they rarely acknowledged our presence. While they were chatty and amiable with everyone else, they gave us curt nods and stiff-lipped grimaces. Their interactions communicated that they didn’t want to live near us,

associate with us, or get to know us.

Ibram X. Kendi, in his seminal book, How to be an Antiracist, defines racism as a powerful system fuelled by faulty ideas of human value. Viewing one racial group as superior or inferior to another is racist. Enforcing and participating in policies that support such ideas are racist, too.

Were our neighbours racist?

Some might say yes, others no. On the one hand, their racism was not explicit. They didn’t vandalize our property with racist graffiti or tell us to “go back home” to Korea. On the other hand, they communicated a strong disdain and contempt toward us and our food. Their food was normal, our food was weird. They were educated and knew better, we were ignorant immigrants. They didn’t need correcting, but we certainly did. Our neighbours were incensed by our very presence and we lived a miserable year under their constant scrutiny and criticism.

VOICES OF COLOUR

Our food smelled like garbage

Racism shows up as implicit bias, shortened life expectancies, higher infant mortality rates, wealth disparities, limited job opportunities, harsher judging sentences, mass incarceration, and more. And yes, racism also appears as neighbourly complaints about offensive food smells. It’s become invisible and normalized.

Like many others, I have been inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement to examine my own racial bias. And I’ve come to understand that no one is completely free from prejudice. We’ve all adopted assumptions rooted in racist ideas.

So where do we go from here?

How do we, as the people of God, respond?

As a food blogger and person who loves to cook and host, I believe this all begins at the table.

Jesus invited everyone to the table. Amazingly, His table upended all notions of social and religious hierarchy. The head of the table was now called to be the servant. The greatest among those seated now called to be the least.

Jesus encouraged people to see themselves and others as equals.

When people used the table as a means to dominate and control,

Jesus exposed their false notions of human value and challenged their hypocrisy.

In the early church, people celebrated table fellowship across socio-economic and racial lines.

Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave or free—all were one at the table of Christ. No one could boast membership based on ancestral lineage, righteous works, status or wealth. All were invited. All were welcome.

Today, we need to examine our own tables. There are people who are conspicuously absent. We, too, carry ideas about who belongs at our tables and who doesn’t. Who are they? Why are they missing?

Instead of saying, “But I’m not racist,” we must be willing to consider: How do our hidden assumptions and biases move us closer to certain individuals and further away from others? Why do we feel safer with some but not with all?

As we move closer to Jesus, we become more like Him. We begin to see our hidden racism and desire real change. The walls come down and our tables expand. We let go of our need to control and allow Jesus to be the host. Our tables become transformed places. And we become a transformed people. 

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VOICES OF COLOUR

Kairos Action No one is scary

by Laura Matthews Laura is the program and administrative coordinator for Baptist Women and has developed and run their Women’s Conferences since 2016.

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When I heard the news of George Floyd dying because of police brutality, I was paralysed by the inhumanity of his death as he pleaded for his life. I know Jesus wept that day, while many others couldn’t look away. I felt an internal earthquake cracking me open at every seam. It was a true kairos moment—a moment where God broke into my world with no option to deny His presence.

Reminded again that racism is alive, I became deeply aware that our society is built on unjust systems of oppression—largely unchallenged by “well-intentioned” White people like myself. Like Saul, scales fell from my eyes as I began to recognize my complicity in these systems. I hadn’t fully recognized the responsibility that comes with my privilege.

I hid behind the fact that I have many friends who are Black, Indigenous or People of Colour (BIPOC), yet I didn’t understand the action required of me to ensure that their lives are equally valued.

I remained ignorant of policies that serve whiteness.

I’ve often been silent because of discomfort, rather than taking a stand.

I spoke with a Black friend who lives in the Greater Toronto Area.

She has two young boys. She was hurting and scared. “At what point do my children become scary to society?” she asked me. “They’re cute now, but soon they’ll be profiled and targeted.”

We’re not immune to racism in Canada. It’s not enough to be nice, live or work in diverse settings, or consider yourself not to be racist.

It is vital for us to actively work towards becoming anti-racist. How else will systemic change occur?

In Uptick Baptist Women, we teach Lifeshapes, part of author Mike Breen’s teaching on discipleship. The Kairos Learning Circle invites us to respond to God by repenting and believing. This shape is often my compass, and it gave me a framework to act instead of stagnate.

Repent invites us to observe, reflect and discuss. I observed my feelings towards racial injustice, reflected and became curious about the root causes of systemic

VOICES OF COLOUR

racism, and had discussions and prayer with my husband.

Believe invites us to plan, account and act. And so I planned to practice anti-racist action by doing something intentional each day. I set up a WhatsApp group for the month of June called action accountability to grow your racial justice practice and invited anyone to join. It quickly grew to over 40 people. I suggested a daily action, ranging from reading articles to writing government officials to advocate for change. For accountability, we’d simply write in

the chat “day __ done.” This daily rhythm became essential in growing my habits to sustain anti-racist action.

As a White person, I cannot be blind to my privilege. And, as Christians, we cannot live indifferently to the racial injustice we encounter. Perhaps the learning circle is a framework that will support your own journey in exploring anti-racism. God certainly met me in the process, helping me to repent and continuing to sustain me for the ongoing work. 

Laura Matthews

So where do we begin?

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• • • • •

Commit to educating yourself, ongoing.

Identify your personal sphere of influence and use it. Have conversations with family and friends about how to change.

Write a letter to your local government about policy change.

Donate to organizations with clear anti-racist practices.

Speak up when you see racism.

Read books by BIPOC authors and diversify your children’s books, too.

Support businesses owned and operated by BIPOC people.

These small actions might seem insignificant, but they accumulate and make a difference—like how Jesus conducted His ministry on a personal and communal level; teaching, loving, healing and acting against oppressive powers one scenario at a time. He was for the marginalized and oppressed, always. Are we? May our actions be the answer.

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BIBLE STUDY

CHOSEN | HOLY | CALLED Precious in His sight But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. “ 1 Peter 2:9

Linda Ellsworth

by Linda Ellsworth Linda is the member care coordinator for Christian Camping International, Canada.

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Over the past several months, we have been overwhelmed in the media with the plight of those suffering the injustice of systemic racism.

It is easy to be caught up in the call to action and solidarity without considering the biblical root of the issues revealed. Racism is only a part of the larger picture—that of prejudice.

Here’s a definition of prejudice: A preconceived opinion, either negative or positive, regarding a person, place, or thing; not based on reason or actual experience.

In light of this definition, do we not all succumb to that internal and often unconscious bias in some form, every day of our lives?

What does God have to say about prejudice?

Hagar and the Desert Springs READ Genesis 16 What was Hagar’s ethnic background? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Would she have looked like Sarai? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ What was her position in Abram’s household? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ What was the situation that altered her position? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ With the change in status, describe the change in Hagar’s attitude. _________________________

_________________________ _________________________ Isn’t it interesting that the one who suffered initial injustice, was quick to return it when the tables turned?

As a result of the change in Hagar’s attitude, let’s look at the events that follow.

Fleeing from Sarai’s abuse, Hagar ends up in the wilderness beside a small stream. Alone.

Afraid. And here God does an amazing thing! Describe this encounter in the wilderness: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Despite her change in attitude, God saw her—Hagar—the woman of Egypt. The woman of colour.

The woman pregnant, alone, and

BIBLE STUDY

afraid. And her Creator God spoke!

His promise to her? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ His requirement of her? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ The sign of that promise? (16:13-14) _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ The fulfillment of that promise?

(16:15-16) _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Hagar. She who came face-to-face with “The Living One Who Sees Me.” Remembered in her plight to this day. Yet this is not the end of the story!

Hagar –Well Provided READ Geneses 21:8-21 Once again God SEES and provides for Hagar and Ishmael.

Inward emotions often prompt outward actions. What do you think prompted Sarah’s actions at this point? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Why did God promise Abraham that Hagar would be cared for? (verses12-13) _________________________ _________________________ _________________________

Once again, Hagar finds herself in the wilderness, a victim of unjust treatment.

Describe her ordeal, as she and her child face certain death. _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Recall that Hagar’s response to Sarah had been unkind and unjust in the past. Now take a close look at God’s response to this situation. (verses 16-17) Hagar wept, but God responded to the cries of _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ And the God-Who-Sees-Me provided a well, and the promise of a great nation!

The Well of Living Water —A God-Ordained Meeting READ John 4 Travelling from Judea to Galilee, Jesus HAD to go through _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ This was unheard of because the Jews ___________________ the Samaritans.

His timing was perfect: right around ____________________ _________________________.

He arranged to be alone at the well, by sending _____________ _________________________.

Why was this situation so perfectly arranged by God? _________________________

_________________________ _________________________ Describe what is known about this Samaritan woman and then deduce: (e.g. Why she would be alone, drawing water at noon—in the hottest part of the day). _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Jesus met her where she was and asked her for her help. He then offered her a solution to her situation—being an outcast. What was His solution? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Why was the thought of “living water”—which would allow her to never be thirsty again, of such importance to her, in her life situation? (see verse 15) _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ How does Jesus confront her regarding her sin? (verses 16-19) _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ In their ensuing conversation, the woman has a very politically motivated religious debate with Jesus.

Describe the discussion which culminates with Jesus’ amazing conclusion in verse 26. _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Jesus met this woman at the place of her need.

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BIBLE STUDY

and engaged her in conversation when no one else would.

Jesus acknowledged her socioeconomic status, and still referred to her as “dear woman.”

In verses 39-42, Jesus revealed His truth to her, resulting in _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Where even His disciples would have shown prejudice toward this woman, had they had the nerve, Christ showed only respect, concern, and care.

Let’s review that definition of prejudice then consider these two women who were loved and cared for by their Creator-God. The basis of prejudice? Sin. The ONLY answer? The God who sees us, and who, without prejudice, and despite our egotistical bent toward judgment, saw fit to rescue us from the curse of self and sin; who chose to sacrifice Himself to redeem us; whose actions bring glory to Himself, and ushers in a new vision of His creation in us.

The only answer to external prejudice is through the internal change wrought by the Spirit of God in us. He is the God who sees us, loves us as we are and chooses to shape us for His purposes in the world.

The Transforming Power of Love READ Romans 12:11-21 Paul gives us clear direction 22 live • September - October 2020

regarding the outworking of the spiritual transformation God creates in us at the moment we meet Him face to face and claim His redeeming work in our lives.

Romans 12:1 says: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you.”

What exactly does this mean for us in relation to those around us . . . those toward whom we may feel estranged or even antagonistic?

Those who may appear, act, think differently than we do? Those who have a different socio-economic status? Those who may insult or persecute us?

Paul gives approximately 25 directives in verses 11-21. Number and state them. Use them as your life guide to loving all people. See each other in the same way as God does—the God who sees you!

_________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ To conclude this study, allow the Spirit of God to open your heart as you watch the YouTube music video The God Who Sees by Kathy Lee Gifford and Nicole C. Mullen. 

CONNECT TO MISSION

Monday, November 2, 2020 This year, as never before, it means something to gather with our Baptist sisters across Ontario, Quebec and around the world to observe Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer—to pray for each other and to give to overseas and North American grassroots projects that need our support more than ever.

Given the realities of social distancing, you may want to take part in the Baptist World Alliance Women’s online 24-hour prayer vigil which happens on its Facebook page. You won’t have to pray for 24 hours! Just drop in and pray as you are able.

New this year 2020’s theme is LIFE! Each Continental Union wrote their Union’s prayers along with respective portion of the Program. You’ll find the prayers have been incorporated into the Program. (There is no separate Prayer Guide.)

Sending in your donations to CBWOQ Our bank will reject any cheque that does not fit its criteria. Please follow this checklist to make sure we can process your gifts. We pass on 100 per cent (half to BWNA and half to BWA Women).

For groups: • Write one cheque to our office that totals all donations the group will have made • In the To line of your cheque —only write Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec • Use the revised remittance form on our website (baptistwomen.com) to fill in the names, amounts and addresses of donors who want receipts • Mail your cheque and remittance form to our

office: CBWOQ, 5 International Blvd, Etobicoke, ON M9W 6H3 • Enclose a note in the envelope that says: 2020 World Day of Prayer.

For individuals • Donate via credit card online at baptistwomen. com/donate • You may also mail a cheque to our office. It is essential that you write Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec in the “To” line. You may add a note saying it is for World Day of Prayer.

Please download your 2020 Day of Prayer program at bwawd.org. 

We REMEMBER Each generation has the opportunity to fuel mission for the next. We are thankful for the following gifts: In Memory of Florence Henry, Smith’s Falls Marion Irwin, Belleville Shirley Judge, Listowel Bob Moore, Baden Wilma Pettit, Tillsonburg Karen Phillips, Tait Erik Pilkey, Markham IN HONOUR OF Ruth Fletcher, Toronto (90th birthday) Betty Hillyer, Toronto (90th birthday) Ellen Kerr, Niagara Falls (96th birthday) Bonnie Soley, Toronto (80th birthday) Nora Vissers, New Liskeard (90th birthday)

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The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist.

Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself.

And that’s the only way forward.

In a time when how we connect with each other has had to change, live magazine keeps our bonds lively and strong.

Let a woman in your community know about live magazine. A subscription costs just $20. Pay at baptistwomen.com or call the editor, Renée James. Choose from three formats: print, audio (CD) or online.

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Send your old mailing label and your new address to: live Magazine Circulation Dept., 5 International Blvd., Etobicoke, ON M9W 6H3 PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NUMBER 40007159 REGISTRATION NUMBER R9703 RETURN UNDEliverABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: live MAGAZINE CIRCULATION DEPT. 5 INTERNATIONAL BLVD ETOBICOKE, ON M9W 6H3 live@baptist.ca