Open Letter: Building Bridges: A Vision for Southern and Coastal Communities United in Christ
“Heart for Reconciliation
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As I conclude this series of reflections, I’m reminded of our Lord’s prayer in John 17:21, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” This divine longing for unity compels me to share a vision of what might be possible if our seemingly disparate communities—the coastal enclave of Malibu and the humble towns of the Bible Belt—were to recognize our essential oneness in Christ.
Having addressed both the Pepperdine community and Malibu’s civic leadership, I now wish to offer some practical pathways toward meaningful connection that honors both our differences and our shared humanity under God’s loving gaze.
Fellowship of Different Gifts
Scripture teaches us that “there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). How beautifully this applies to our communities.
The South brings to this fellowship deep roots of faith tradition, an embodied understanding of perseverance through hardship, and wisdom about finding contentment regardless of circumstance. Our communities know how to stretch resources, how generations can support one another through extended family networks, and how faith provides sustenance when material comforts are limited.
Malibu brings distinctive gifts as well—innovation, global perspective, stewardship of extraordinary natural beauty, and the ability to amplify important messages through cultural influence. Your community has resources, platforms, and opportunities that, when directed toward Kingdom purposes, can advance good in ways our small towns simply cannot.
What might happen if we viewed these differences not as divisions but as complementary gifts from the same divine Giver?
Concrete Steps Toward Meaningful Connection
1. Exchange Programs of Genuine Depth
I envision semester-long exchange programs between Pepperdine and our community colleges that go beyond academic tourism. Southern students would experience not just Pepperdine’s educational excellence but immersion in California churches, neighborhoods, and workplaces. Likewise, Pepperdine students would live with Southern families, attend our churches, and work alongside us in factories, farms, or local businesses.
Such exchanges would require vulnerability from both communities—a willingness to have our assumptions challenged and our perspectives expanded. Yet isn’t this precisely the kind of mutual submission that reflects Christ’s character?
2. Collaborative Service Projects
Imagine joint mission teams composed equally of members from Malibu churches and Southern congregations, serving together in Appalachia, inner-city Los Angeles, or international communities. When we labor side by side—whether rebuilding homes after natural disasters or serving in community health initiatives—superficial differences quickly fade as we recognize our common purpose in Christ’s service.
These collaborations might begin as annual events but could blossom into ongoing partnerships addressing challenges in both regions: coastal environmental stewardship, rural healthcare access, or educational opportunity gaps.
3. Shared Learning Communities
Technology now allows for regular virtual gathering spaces where believers from different regions can study Scripture together, pray for one another’s communities, and share insights from their distinct contexts. I envision monthly online forums where pastors, community leaders, and ordinary believers from both regions discuss how faith intersects with challenges like economic inequality, environmental stewardship, racial reconciliation, and cultural engagement.
These conversations, approached with humility and genuine curiosity, could model how Christians navigate differences while maintaining unity in essential matters of faith.
4. Economic Partnerships with Dignity
Beyond charity, which can sometimes reinforce unhealthy power dynamics, I envision economic partnerships that honor the dignity and gifts of both communities. Perhaps Malibu residents with business expertise could mentor Southern entrepreneurs developing sustainable enterprises in economically challenged regions. Meanwhile, Southern craftspeople, farmers, and artisans might find markets for authentic goods that represent generations of skill and tradition.
Such partnerships would exemplify an economy of communion rather than mere transaction—where relationship precedes exchange and mutual flourishing is the goal.
Witness of Unexpected Unity
In a nation increasingly fragmented along geographic, political, and cultural lines, imagine the powerful witness of unlikely friendship between coastal California and the rural South. Such unity would not require uniformity of thought or expression—indeed, its beauty would lie precisely in the maintenance of distinctive cultural expressions while affirming a deeper oneness in Christ.
When Jesus prayed for unity among believers, He immediately connected this unity to effective witness: “…that they may be one as we are one…Then the world will know that you sent me” (John 17:22-23). Our cultural moment desperately needs such a witness—not of forced agreement on all matters, but of loving fellowship amid difference.
Personal Commitment
As I conclude these reflections, I wish to make a personal commitment. I will continue praying daily for Malibu, its leadership, and the Pepperdine community. Not with a spirit of judgment or superiority, but with genuine love and hope for God’s blessing upon your community. I commit to speaking of coastal communities with the same grace and nuance I would hope others extend to my Southern homeland.
Most importantly, I commit to being open to the ways God might use your community to challenge my assumptions, expand my vision, and deepen my faith. For I recognize that in God’s economy, we truly do need one another—coastal and heartland, urban and rural, affluent and modest—to fully reflect the magnificent diversity and unity of Christ’s body.
Invitation and a Benediction
I extend a sincere invitation: Come sit on our porch swings. Join us for Sunday dinner after church. Work alongside us in our fields and factories. Worship with us in our simple sanctuaries. And likewise, I remain open to experiencing the unique expressions of faith and community that have developed along your beautiful shores.
May the Lord bless and keep both our communities. May He make His face shine upon the mountains of Appalachia and the shores of the Pacific alike. May He turn His countenance toward the humble and the elevated, the rural and the coastal, and give us all His peace.
For ultimately, our true citizenship is not in Malibu or the Bible Belt, but in the Kingdom of Heaven, where “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
With abiding hope and brotherly affection,
Southern Brother in Christ”