2002 G.W. Hope

There he was - the soon to be new director of a mission campus in a country of 99% black people - and he used the n-word. That’s right – the n-word. I will not type it because in the context it is totally wrong. It is not explainable by birth, community, raising or laughter. It is an unacceptable term amongst anyone with a shred of understanding or minimal desire to not offend.

But, alas, this new-hire stood at the high point of the campus and said in front of my team, “They need us. You can’t trust these n-words to be able to run a campus…” It was at that moment that I knew our partnership would end soon. We spoke to the higher ups. “It’s not a character thing, I'm sure that he is sorry for what he said…” they said as they slapped his hand and moved the topic under the rug.

The core of his problem was not the callousness that allowed him to use such an offensive and insensitive term in front of a visiting mission team when describing the Christian work. The core problem was that he saw the effort as a typical “Great White Hope” effort where he and the North Americans would come in and save the hopeless people of that country. He did not believe in them or their ability to consistently respond to and uphold the morals and ethics of God.

I had a good mind to ask him as he went on and on about how the “n-words could not be trusted...” why he was there if they could not be whole in Christ. What was the good in his gospel if they could not be trusted to maintain the life of Christ? Why could only a white North American be capable of running a small mission work? Were indigenous people not good enough?

I will never forget how astonished, offended and amazed I was on that day. G.W. Hope got me that day and made me sick to my stomach. But God had an even deeper lesson for me as he opened my eyes to the behaviors of so many Christian leaders - in front of the people and behind their backs. Around the world and in the pulpits of North America as well, there are, every day, pastors and preachers who do not believe that the people they serve can “really get it.” They may not be as offensive as G.W. Hope but so many of them do not believe in the ability of the people they serve to receive the Gospel and be changed. They talk down, look down and preach down to people who they see as a “different class.”

God sent me a huge reminder through G.W. Hope – believe in the power of the Gospel to change lives forever or get out of the game before you offend God by looking down on his children.