February 27, 2022
No Wiggle Room for Prejudice
“You sorry dog!” The use of
those insulting words sometimes led to a fist fight when I was growing up.
Little did I realize this was not a new way to demean someone. The Jews called
Gentiles “dogs” 2500 years ago. Even Paul called the Judaizers “dogs” in his
letter to the Philippians.
Prejudice
has always divided people. It remains a harsh reality in our time. The
temptation to scorn other ethnic groups is forever with us. Bigotry stands at
the threshold of every heart, ready to walk in whenever self-righteousness
leaves the door ajar.
I
was not only saved from my sins by trusting Jesus, I was also saved from racism
by the grace of God. Growing up in central Alabama I embraced the racism of my
parents. Fortunately, the Lord changed them and me. He taught us that we could
not truly love Jesus and remain bigoted toward people of a different color.
Jesus
leaves his followers no wiggle room for racism. Either we give it up or forfeit
the privilege of being his disciples. We cannot love people and discriminate
against them at the same time. John illuminates this truth:
If
someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one
who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God who he has not
seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should
love his brother also (1 John 4:20-21).
Paul
reminds us that the Church is made up of all flavors of people: There is
neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in
Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
Jesus
and his disciples were Jews. The disciples were not happy when Jesus insisted
on going “through Samaria.” Loving the despised Samaritans into the Kingdom was
not on their agenda. But Jesus took them through Samaria anyway. There he
ignored social custom by talking to a Samaritan “street” woman who was
ostracized by other women. The conversation resulted in the woman, who was
thirsty for God’s grace, learning to drink of “living water” that quenched the
thirsting of her soul. She was so blessed that she ran into the village to
share with others the joy of meeting Jesus.
Many
of us who are white have learned to go beyond sending money to missionaries
serving in Africa; we are discovering the joy of loving, and serving with, our
black and Hispanic neighbors in our own community. That’s what, according to
the New Testament, Jesus wants us to do – extend our love to all people, not
just those of our own race. Doing so validates the certain truth that if Jesus
died for anyone anywhere, he died for all people everywhere.
If
we truly walk with Jesus in today’s culture, we will celebrate our oneness in
Christ and also demonstrate it by overcoming prejudice with love. There is,
after all, no wiggle room for racist attitudes or bigoted behavior. + + +