Monday, August 15, 2005
Today, I Am A Minority!
I can’t believe it! I didn’t think I’d live to see the day, but it’s true. It’s here, and I’m now a minority! I kind of like it. What new rights do I get with this? It happened some time over the last year, but I just read about it in the paper. Texas is now 50.2% non-Anglo. Its minorities are the majority--Asian, African, and Hispanic. Globally, Anglos have been a minority for a long time. Being a state of minority frankly positions us for a fantastic future if we won’t fear it but, instead, take advantage of it.
Texas has always been a minority place--that’s why it thinks so big. It’s a big place and it takes big risk-takers with big dreams to tackle this place. For centuries, there weren’t many Indians here for the space of the land. Spain couldn’t tame it after 300 years. The French lasted only 3 years! Mexico couldn’t get enough Mexicans to come, so they got this guy named Austin to come and bring the first colony. Even the Texas army was made up of many Mexicans, some of which were generals and leaders. After the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese came in droves to Texas to the Gulf Coast to shrimp--nearly started another war. I meet people from all over the world who have moved to Texas and when I’m in other parts of the world and tell someone I’m from Texas, they all have heard about it! Cowboys, cows, oil, and lots of “big” in every form and fashion. I’ve even taken boots from Texas as gifts to warlords in Afghanistan who just had to have a pair along with cowboy hats and boots to Vietnam to government officials there.
Recently, the biggest church in America just opened in Houston at the former Compaq Center--packed every service! The pastor, Joel Osteen, seems to be every bit as humble as the church is big. Already he’s encouraging his son to dream big--take the church over one day and take over the Reliant Stadium. By then, that will probably be too small. His church, by the way, is filled with “minorities.” I don’t know which ethnic group is largest--you certainly can’t tell by watching the television. Every ethnic possible is there. I have a friend who found God there through Joel’s dad, John. His name is Saleim--he’s Palestinian. I’m glad a pastor is at the forefront of leading the way of seeing integration in the church--and it’s in Texas, not New York City!
This will help globally, because the world is more Asian than anything–-and Central and South America is Hispanic--and one of the greatest needs in the world today is found in Africa--and the churches in Europe are dead. WOW! We’ve got it all! Texas, on fire for God, could change the world! What does minority status mean for me? Dream big--it’s the only way you’ll make it!
Texas has always been a minority place--that’s why it thinks so big. It’s a big place and it takes big risk-takers with big dreams to tackle this place. For centuries, there weren’t many Indians here for the space of the land. Spain couldn’t tame it after 300 years. The French lasted only 3 years! Mexico couldn’t get enough Mexicans to come, so they got this guy named Austin to come and bring the first colony. Even the Texas army was made up of many Mexicans, some of which were generals and leaders. After the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese came in droves to Texas to the Gulf Coast to shrimp--nearly started another war. I meet people from all over the world who have moved to Texas and when I’m in other parts of the world and tell someone I’m from Texas, they all have heard about it! Cowboys, cows, oil, and lots of “big” in every form and fashion. I’ve even taken boots from Texas as gifts to warlords in Afghanistan who just had to have a pair along with cowboy hats and boots to Vietnam to government officials there.
Recently, the biggest church in America just opened in Houston at the former Compaq Center--packed every service! The pastor, Joel Osteen, seems to be every bit as humble as the church is big. Already he’s encouraging his son to dream big--take the church over one day and take over the Reliant Stadium. By then, that will probably be too small. His church, by the way, is filled with “minorities.” I don’t know which ethnic group is largest--you certainly can’t tell by watching the television. Every ethnic possible is there. I have a friend who found God there through Joel’s dad, John. His name is Saleim--he’s Palestinian. I’m glad a pastor is at the forefront of leading the way of seeing integration in the church--and it’s in Texas, not New York City!
This will help globally, because the world is more Asian than anything–-and Central and South America is Hispanic--and one of the greatest needs in the world today is found in Africa--and the churches in Europe are dead. WOW! We’ve got it all! Texas, on fire for God, could change the world! What does minority status mean for me? Dream big--it’s the only way you’ll make it!
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