Book Review: United: Captured By God's Vision For Diversity by Trillia J. Newbell

It is no secret that diversity in the United States is not an ideal held by many. Some Americans would rather deal with people of their own race and look at the other races with hostility. There are others that do want to embrace the idea of diversity and get along with people who maybe be of the same race. I remember as kid growing up in one neighborhood that I had many friends close by who were Africa-American as well as Mexicans.

The church of Jesus Christ should be the one place where diversity is held in higher standards, but it is not. I am remember one of my professors telling the story of a church where he was a guest preacher and an African-American couple came in to join the service. The people of the church asked the couple to leave, but my professor said they were his guests and if you want to leave, I will leave. After a few minutes, the church stood there ground and the couple was escorted out and my professor joined them. If you look at most of churches in our country we have your white churches, African-American churches, Asian churches, and Mexican churches, yet, the Bible says that Jesus died to reconcile us to God and each other.

Trillia J Newbell, talks about embracing diversity in her book, United: Captured By God's Vision For Diversity. Trillia is a writer for Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). This book is basically her own journey of embracing what God has called the church to be which is of all nations and tongues. She begins the book with her own story of how she found her new identity in Christ rather than her being a black woman. She wrote, "Being black is a part of my identity. But it isn't my entire identity" (pg. 31). She talks about being a dominately white church and the longing she had for community which is a God given desire. She got involved with her church and the lives of those she calls brothers and sisters.

The rest of book talks about Trillia's longing for diversity in the church including understanding what the body of Christ truly is. She wrote, "Diversity displays a true understanding of the grace of God" (pg. 62). She also said that Christ calling us to salvation is not based on ethnicity, "We are created equally. When Christ calls us to Himself, He does not look at who we are in terms of ethnicity, nor does He call us because of who we are in any other way except that we are dead and in need of new life" (pg. 95).

If Diversity is not anywhere close in your church, I encourage you to read this book. I am so thankful that Trillia has written this and was transparent in her struggles. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks Moody Publishers for letting me review this book.