Week 5- Barker, Chapter 9 (Ethnicity, Race, and Nation)

Our race, ethnicity, and even our nation have created our identity whether we want to accept it or not. Historically, one could look at a nation, a city, or a state and identify its people either by the geographical location or the ethnicity of the people and in many places this still rings true, however in other places this does not. Barker describes ethnicity as a relationship concept divided into two areas: self-identification and social ascription. If our identity is found through our skin pigmentation, language, historical movements, etc. than how do we find our identity in Christ? Are we first a follower of Christ than an American or are we American first than a follower of Christ? (This is just one example). Even looking to the Old Testament as the Exiles experienced diaspora, (people scattered among many places), they didn't identify with true identity or community, because they were without any true representation of who they were at that moment. Wherever you are from, what language you may speak, or family background you may hold to; you have an identity that nobody can take and that identity has God's fingerprints all over it.