We Are All One in Christ
I am prejudiced.
You are, too. In our oh so politically correct world, it’s not an admission most of us want to make out loud. But the fact remains that every single person, without exception, has some prejudice.
The dictionary defines prejudice as: 1) an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason; 2) any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable, and 3) unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group.
The first definition could be something as simple as saying that I don’t like sushi. The first time I heard of it, I decided I didn’t like it. I have never tried sushi, so it is an opinion I have formed without any knowledge or reason. Perhaps if I tried it, I would like it, but I don’t look for that to happen anytime soon. We can make those kinds of judgments about people who are different from us, as well. We buy into the stereotypes that society has created, and the result is mistrust. Once we take the time to get to know someone, then those barriers of prejudice can be removed. A little prejudice has its place, though. If I am walking down the street alone and I see a group of young men dressed in suits and carrying briefcases coming my way, I probably will have no concerns. But what if those young men are dressed in ripped up jeans and tees and have multiple tattoos and piercings? I might hold my purse a little tighter, or duck into a store until they pass by, or even cross the street. Call me prejudiced, but I am not going to take any chances with my safety. They may be a group of great kids who just happen to dress that way or they might be thugs. Until I can tell the difference, I am going to be cautious.
The second definition tells us that prejudice can be a favorable or unfavorable opinion, so you can give prejudice a positive spin here. I am prejudiced when it comes to my daughter. I think she is one of the smartest, kindest, and prettiest young ladies you could ever meet. Most parents feel that way about their kids. If you have a favorite sports team, you are prejudiced. Same goes for a team you don’t like. When I was at West Virginia University, each Saturday we rooted for the Mountaineers and anyone who was playing Penn State or Pitt.
The third definition is the one we most often think of when we talk about being prejudiced. Let’s be honest in discussing this. It used to be that we only thought about white people being prejudiced against black people. Unfortunately, there are plenty of prejudices to go around: blacks, whites, Asians, Mexicans, women, Christians, Muslims. Despite all the work of the multicultural movement of the last twenty years, I believe that people in general are becoming less tolerable of others. In the time since the September 11 attacks, can you honestly say that you haven’t become a little more suspicious or anxious when you have encountered an Arab person? Our prejudices may be mild – perhaps you just feel a little anxious or guard your feelings in your encounters with people you see as different but you don’t say anything or treat the person poorly. Other people may be blunt in their feelings toward people they are prejudiced against, and they may act accordingly. We call those people jerks. (Was that a prejudiced statement?)
I am NOT a racist.
The dictionary defines racism as: 1) a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others; 2) hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.
Racism goes beyond prejudice. Prejudice can be overcome with knowledge and experience – getting to know someone or something and reducing your anxiety. For example, I use to think I didn’t like foreign doctors. Then I reluctantly took my many friends’ recommendations when I chose my daughter’s pediatrician, who was Korean, and I was pleasantly surprised. He was a wonderful doctor and helped me so much. I was sad when he retired. But racism goes beyond having a favorable or unfavorable opinion. Racism is a deep seated belief that your race is superior. Racism says that all other races are inferior and should submit to your authority – that they have no rights. Racism is about hatred and putting others “in their place”, according to its rules. Racism is not so easily overcome. Again, people most commonly associate racism as a “whites against blacks” thing. Unfortunately, history backs that up. So does the media coverage we see of white supremacy groups that actively advocate their beliefs. But racism comes in all colors. History’s most devastating example of racism was the Holocaust – the extermination of 6 million Jews at the hands of the Nazis.
Jewish refers to a race of people, as well as a religion. I can’t think of any other people that the name of their race is also the name of their religion. What happened to the Jewish people in the Holocaust was a terrible thing – the result of an evil hatred. However, it is also sadly ironic, because history shows that the Jewish people themselves were at one time racists.
Acts 10:24-28
And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.” And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”
Jews of this day did not associate with non-Jews, and they had their own laws about it. In this passage from Acts, Peter has gone to the home of a Gentile, which is any person who is not a Jew. The only people they were less tolerable of than Gentiles were Samaritans. They called Samaritans dogs. Samaritans were half-Jewish people created when the Israelites were taken into captivity and the Assyrians resettled the land with people from other nations. They intermarried with the Jews who were left in the land, resulting in a half-breed race. Their hatred of these people was so bad that they would travel hundreds of miles out of their way to avoid Samaritan villages when traveling to the Galilee area. Contact with Samaritans made them “unclean.” That’s why the woman at the well in John 4 marveled that Jesus, a Jewish man, would even speak to her, a Samaritan woman. He was breaking all the rules she had come to accept. How fortunate for her, and the other Samaritan people who came to know Jesus that day.
Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
In Christ, there is no prejudice and there is no racism. God is not persuaded by your skin color, your socio-economic status, your sex, your political affiliation. He is persuaded by the condition of your heart. We are to separate ourselves spiritually from the things of this world, but physically we cannot be separate from the world. We could move to an area and create a Christian-only community, but then how could we fulfill the call of God? We are to go into all the world and preach the gospel. In doing so, we are going to battle our own prejudices. But we cannot pick and choose who we are going to witness to based on their race or what neighborhood they live in or their age or how much money they have.
James 2:1-4, 8-9
My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? . . . If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
The book of Acts chronicles the beginnings of the Christian church. The Jewish leaders who hated Jesus also hated His disciples. They lectured and threatened and imprisoned the disciples for teaching in Jesus’ name. Through Saul’s leadership, they aggressively imprisoned and killed those who claimed to be Christians. It’s another irony that Saul would have his own personal encounter with Jesus and be transformed, becoming Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Despite their persecution, the Christian church continued to grow and thrive, and part of that was because they opened themselves up to the Gentiles, which was God’s plan. Peter’s visit to Cornelius’ home was a significant turning point.
Acts 10:34-35
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”
So God doesn’t care what country you live in or what color your skin is or how you voted in the last election. The only prejudice He has is against sin. He is a Holy God and no sin will be permitted into heaven. Revelation 21:27 says: “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” God loves each and every person, without exception. But He does hate their sins. Thanks to the work that Jesus did on the cross, we can be cleansed of our sin and be reconciled with God. If we accept Jesus as our savior and repent of our sins, then God will forgive us.
In God’s eyes, sin is sin. People, however, tend to assign value to sins. For example, murder is worse than stealing in society’s eyes and the punishment is more severe. Some people believe they have sinned too great to ever be forgiven, but that is not true. Perhaps we cannot get man’s forgiveness, but we can receive God’s. That means that no matter how hard it is for us to understand, God can forgive murderers, rapists, thieves, and pedophiles, if they repent. I might not think that my sin is so bad compared to these, but it will send me to Hell just as quickly. I thank God that He shows no partiality. I thank God that He is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
I am also prejudiced when it comes to God. I think He is the best! Nothing else compares to Him. I have no interest in any other gods, and I never want to go back to my old life without Him. I love God’s people and I enjoy being in church to worship Him with my brothers and sisters in Christ. As for my other prejudices, I am learning to love others that are different from me through Christ. Walls are coming down and bridges are being built. That’s what it will take to overcome prejudices and racism – a sincere love for others. It’s the kind of love that God has for all us.
