I recently traveled to Delaware Valley Baptist Church in New Jersey for the 44th annual meeting of the Baptist Resource Network. This is a meeting in which representatives from various churches across Pennsylvania and South Jersey gather together to make plans for joining forces and partnering together to reach out both locally and globally.

The part of the meeting that made the deepest impression on me was the way in which numerous races and cultures embraced one another as brothers and sisters in the faith. Seriously: it was unlike anything I have ever seen, especially in the context of a larger group. At least half of the attendees were something other than white. Also, since the church hosting the event was predominantly African American, the singing they led was quite lively to say the least. Most of the white people there, including myself, were painfully aware of our inability to sing and clap on beat at the same time. However, that didn’t stop us from having a great time.

I especially appreciated the executive director of the convention, Dr. David Waltz, finishing his “State of the Convention” address by discussing the challenges facing the African American community, and tearfully expressing true brokenness at the racism that continues to exist in our society. He acknowledged that determining the causes and solutions of this issue is a difficult task but exhorted those present to at least be burdened for the situation as God is burdened for it. The evening ended with a very moving time during which individuals went to the front and silently prayed for their brothers and sisters in the faith. We also formed small groups of 2-3 people with those of a different race and prayed for each other’s needs.

This reminds me of something I have been thinking a lot about lately: one of the greatest arguments for the truth of the Christian faith is the change it produces in the lives of genuine Christians. This change is expressed not only individually but also corporately in the unique and supernatural community that true Christians enjoy with each other in healthy churches. I got a taste of that in this recent convention meeting, and I long to see more of it in individual churches. Admittedly, you can go numerous places in the world and find people of different races working in cooperation with each other and treating each other politely. But I believe no other place exists where you can find the level of love and brotherhood that true Christians enjoy with each other in spite of racial, cultural, and socio-economic differences. It is something unique. And that loving community is a powerful testimony to the truth of the gospel.