Black Man-White Man
The Tale Of Two Friends
by
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I have a true and vulnerable relationship with Joseph. It’s open and brutally honest. I don’t have to pretend, wear battle ribbons or show my trophies with Joseph. I don’t have to be a wanna-be around Joseph. He doesn’t want to be White and I don’t want to be Black. That’s not how God made us. It’s not about culture or color. It’s about two guys who share a lot in common.
We play each other. I walked into a dark room once and said, “Joseph, I can’t see you!”
He replied, “I love White folks. They’re so blind!”
We love our families and our work. We both share a sense of humor that is greatly magnified when we are together. We share a love and urgency for the lost of the world. We are both burdened for the youth of the world. We empathize with the young men of all cultures who are growing up without fathers. This leads us to speak to men about their role in the family.
We love to speak together. Most of our audiences are like good vegetables that need a little salt and pepper for flavor. We provide the flavor. After thirty years of walking with the Lord, serving Him in the
Joseph’s ministry has taken him places I have never been called. He has served his country by representing the youth of
I look at our relationship as one of celebration. We celebrate each other’s joys and sorrows, crying with each other and laughing with each other. This is how our friendship began. This is how our friendship continues.
I checked into a beautiful room. I was amazed, perplexed and excited all at the same time. I had traveled for so long that I knew my body could use some rest. The hotel had a weight room, pool and Jacuzzi. Often, the times I renew my strength happen best when I am alone. I decided to go and relax in the Jacuzzi. When I arrived, no one else was there. Perfect! I put my stuff to the side, propped up my Perrier, got in the circulating water, laid back and began to rest. I had just started the relaxation process, the bubbles kneading at me as though I had an invisible massage therapist. My body had been battered from years of misuse and the three bullets still hidden inside me. I was in the Jacuzzi for a short period and my sixth sense said someone else was in the room.
I looked up and here came this enormous White guy across the pool area and I thought to myself, “There goes the neighborhood!” Being very selfish and wanting to be alone in the water, something told me he was about to invade my space.
In the natural I didn’t want it to happen. But the Bible talks about man and the plan God has to order our steps (Psalm 37:23). As this big White guy stepped into the Jacuzzi, I could only think of the arrogance and hurt that I had felt in the past. Most of my encounters with White men had been very negative. Yet, I supposedly had overcome that and was now supposed to be led more by the Spirit than by the flesh.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD!
THERE GOES
He looked at me and said, “Yes, I’m saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. What about you?”
I answered, “Yea!”
He invited me to meet his family who had just entered the pool area. They asked me to have dinner with them and we agreed to meet at their room. After arriving in the room while we were waiting for Linda, Wally’s wife, and his daughter Katie Beth, his five-year-old daughter, Emma Leigh, told me a story that blew my mind. All the hairs of my arm stood up as she relayed her testimony about her translation to Heaven and how she sat on the lap of Jesus.
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About the Book
A gangster and an undercover cop. A Midwesterner and a Southerner. Two men from different walks of life, both raised to be prejudiced toward the other’s race. That’s the story of Joseph and Wallace. It is an unlikely relationship because of the radical differences between them. Joseph is Black. Wallace is White. They met twenty years ago in a hotel hot tub and began a relationship that has developed into a deep friendship. Both men overcame their racial prejudices and joined together in ministry. They learned to invest in each other and take the risks necessary to learn each other’s story. Their combined story reflects their cultures and is the basis for the book. Many readers will identify with their lives. There is an openness between Joseph and Wallace. Neither man compromises who he is in order to be a confidant to the other. The influence of Joseph’s dad was very important in his life while Wallace was raised without a father in the home. Each of these men has significant statements to make concerning the influence of a father in a child’s life. This underlying theme sets the stage for the merging of two unlikely men into a godly friendship. Now, serving together, they speak in the
About the Author
Dr. Joseph Jennings is the founder and director of Second Chances Outreach, Inc. Once a gang leader and drug addict, Joseph now speaks to hundreds of thousands of youth each year about the pitfalls of growing up in
Raised in the Black ghetto of
Dr. Jennings is available for speaking at schools and churches in your community. He and Dr. Hostetter are also available for conducting conferences based on the themes of their book.
Dr. Jennings can be reached at www.josephjennings.com.
Dr.Wallace Hostetter has been in ministry for over thirty years. Before becoming a Christian, he worked as an undercover investigator. He is currently the director of global outreach for
Dr. Hostetter and his wife have three adult daughters and live in southeast