Articles
Prejudice
The world teaches hate. Turn on the news or any social media and you will be flooded
with stories and opinions that drive fear, distrust, and anger. If you are honest with yourself, you
know we have all seen prejudice. We are all guilty of prejudice at one time or another, it is
almost inevitable. When we see someone, we make a snap judgement. Are they like me or are
they different? Based on that judgement we treat them differently.
The Bible has a strong warning against this judgement. “My brethren, do not hold your
faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man
comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a
poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine
clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over
there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and
become judges with evil motives” (James 2:1)?
We should see each other as God does. God looks at the heart. He sees us as lost children
who have sinned and need salvation (Romans 3:23). As a Christian, we need to understand the
true love that God has for us. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved
you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). God expects us to love the way He does.
“Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or
free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Colossians 3:11). “Then Peter began to speak: “I now
realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one
who fears Him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34-35). It does not matter to God if we are tall,
short, fat, thin, black, white, brown, red, yellow, American, Palestinian, or if our bodies are
whole or broken. God wants us all to repent and turn to Him (2 Peter 3:9). We are blessed to
have brothers and sisters around the world of every color, culture, and nationality. Do you love
them? ~B Tolbert
