Amidst all the ongoing chaos, there is a challenge to maintaining a positive attitude. Also, the current divisions and conflicts prevent us from staying on task.

As the Scripture recounts, there was a church in Ephesus whose members were struggling to unify as a congregation. Attributes such as gentleness, patience and humility were not evident within its member relations. Therefore, the Apostle Paul suggested that they bear with each other in love and become of one accord. In other words, he asked them to be at peace and have unity through the Spirit (Ephesians 4:2-13). Being at peace on a surface level seems like an easy thing to do, however, this was not the case. It takes work and intentionality. Therefore, how do we accomplish the Apostle’s directive, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs…” (Ephesians 4:29)? We must obey the Scriptures in encouraging and supporting one another with a positive attitude.

The experiences of this past year have been arguably the most gut-wrenching of any experience in recent times as an American citizen. From the perspective of an African American man, there has been an array of emotions that have been a burden to the core. Through sharing personal perspectives and attempting to engage in fruitful discussion with many, no matter the skin color, we must try to make sense of it all and move toward unity. Dialogue and honesty with the positive attitude of love creates allies in the cause of unifying humanity. Through these experiences this truth to live by has surfaced and should be shared:

Racism cannot and will not be fixed in a day! Within the Christian worldview, there is a hope that we all have in being identified with Christ. As evil persists and the basic framework of humanity unravels, we are encouraged by the vision John was given in Revelation 7:9. There will be unity amongst the ethnicities of the human race and one worship giving glory to the One True God.

In the meantime, we all need to take individual responsibility for our “corner of the world,” which is to use the influence of a positive attitude to uplift all ethnicities, ultimately bringing honor to God.

No matter what degree program you choose to pursue, Grand Canyon University can help you earn any degree. However, a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry degree has been one of the College of Theology’s main degrees. GCU has been training Christians in ministry since its inception. You can also earn your Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies degree.