True Unity is Visible

Tourists who have visited Malaysia are often impressed by the constant harmony and peace that is maintained in a society that comprises of many races. Yet any Malaysian will tell you in a cynical tone that beneath the superficial layers of peace and unity lies a spirit of enmity and suspicion between people of different races. People of the same race would form their own communities and segregate themselves from people of other races that form their own communities as well. Thus, perhaps it could be say that people of different races in Malaysia are merely co-existing in the same geographical location.

Unfortunately, churches in Malaysia are not contributing to the solution, but to the problem itself. Chinese, Indians and East Malaysian Christians normally group among their own races to form their own faith community.

Even though sharing the same culture and language makes it easier for the members within a faith community to relate to and live among one another, even though having a monolingual service (rather than a bilingual or multi-lingual service) avoid time wasting; yet such a scenario further perpetuates the problem of segregation that is already prevalent in the society. If the Church is not willing to take the bold step of breaking the boundaries of race, language and culture and bring people of such differences together into one faith community; then the Church is not truly (and is not willing to work towards) reflecting the Kingdom of God which transcends all boundaries.

Gladly, the Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia has taken up the challenge to become the antithesis of racial segregation in the society. Masses in many (if not all) Catholic churches in Malaysia which are previously conducted monolingually are now conducted multi-lingually.

Read this excerpt which is taken from here under the heading "Apostolic Delegate Impressed with Multi-Lingual Mass":

Archbishop Pakiam said that the Church in Malaysia represents all the four major language groups, thus the Mass should be celebrated in all the languages as it is a reflection of reality. Through the multi-lingual Masses, the Catholic Church has shown that it is possible for the different races to come together. Even though most of the parishioners do not understand all the language, they always sit patiently and respectfully listening to the Word of God and participating in the prayers where they can and appreciating the songs in the different languages.

He is right. It is possible and it is a must for believers of different races to come together as one Church, one Community, for true unity of the Body of Christ must be seen visibly, and not merely spiritual and invisible (which is the kind of unity that many Protestants are satisfied with).