Some months ago a faculty member of the religion department at More-house College called me. He was taking a survey and asked, "Is your church integrated?" Taking a moment to measure the honesty of my reply, I was glad to answer, "Yes." I explained further that this was not a token integration in our membership, or among those who attend and are not members. Nor is it a new development. Our congregational life records years of gradual, natural, consistent increase of individuals and families from the black community uniting in membership with those of the white community, serving in positions of responsibility, worshiping and building together. His call brought me an increased appreciation for this natural development.
Such evidence of progress is heartening, but the call for continued development of racial harmony among humanity still speaks to the world's conscience. There are those who appear to be indifferent to racial prejudice; others support a "separate but equal" arrangement. Extremists, apparently holding one race to be superior to another, threaten violence. Hate crimes jar us to attention. What would society be like with racial separations gone and inequities dissolved? To be free from the social discords growing out of racial differences would improve the lot of everyone.
So how can we all help to overcome such separations in society? For a start, we might ask what would happen to these separations if each of us sees all of humanity as embraced in one congregation of worshipers. The Psalmist said: "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation." Ps. 40:8, 9.
