How Far We Have Not Come!
By Joe E. Trull
While I was teaching Christian ethics at New Orleans Baptist Seminary, one of my best students shared an unusual story in class. I recently talked with him and learned the issue he related has continued—in fact, it is worse today than when he first shared the event several years ago, which is why he requested anonymity although he wanted me to publish the story.
Although born in New Orleans and raised in Mobile, Alabama, the student`s first and last name is very Arabic, given to him by his Palestinian father, who came to the U. S. to attend college and seminary and here married his mother, a native Alabamian.
To our class the student recalled this story.
Just a few months after arriving on the campus of the seminary in New Orleans to begin his Master of Divinity study he received an unusual phone call. The call was in response to his resume left with the Church Relations Office, which aids students in finding part-time church work while attending seminary.
The caller, obviously a Southerner (from Mississippi as it turned out) was calling on behalf of his church, which was looking for a student pastor. His first question to the seminary student was to ask if he spoke English, and if so, did he have a heavy accent?
After introducing himself over the phone, the divinity student jokingly answered, "Well, how do I sound?"
The church caller laughed and replied, "You speak with a southern accent!"
The young seminarian listened as the caller explained his inquiry. At first, the pastor search committee of his church eliminated him from consideration due to the fact, as he put it, "Your name just didn`t seem like the name we wanted on our sign out in front of our church."
" Why not" the student asked?
The church leader replied with absolutely no hint of embarrassment, "We don`t think your name would draw the right kind of people."
The student then asked a very perceptive question: "And what kind of people would that be?"
The caller answered, "Well, I`m sure you understand what I mean."
After a pause, the seminary freshman tried to be redemptive. "I think I understand. However, since I obviously will not be allowed to preach for you, may I ask if your search committee will need someone to preach for them in the next few weeks?"
"Yes, we will," responded the caller. "Do you have someone in mind you could recommend to us?"
"Oh yes," replied the young divinity student. "I have a friend who just arrived off a boat from Israel. He is a former carpenter by trade and says he was called to preach. Perhaps he could give your church a missions talk. He is a very interesting fellow—claims to be from Nazareth. Would you be interested?"
"What`s his name," asked the church caller?
"His name is Yeshua-ha-Meshiah," responded the student. "Will that be a problem?"
Hiding the full truth, the Mississippi layman replied: "Yes, I`m afraid so. His name just wouldn`t work for the folks who live out here. They wouldn`t want to listen to someone with that hard a name to pronounce."
"I see," said the Alabama-born seminarian. "Perhaps you should know that his name translated into English is `Jesus the Messiah.` So if you won`t have our Savior in your church, and you won`t have me, then I guess I am in good company. Good day sir!"
At that point, the student hung up the phone. He was angry. He was hurt. He was deeply disappointed. Yet, above all of his feelings came the thought, "How far we have not come!"
My recent conversation with my former student verified that, although we have come a long way during the past decades, racial pride and prejudice are still with us. In fact, to have a middle-eastern name or dress in middle-eastern attire will immediately raise questions in the minds of many Americans.
Yes, my student was right. How far we have not come!
