When I think of the shooting at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin, I remember a programmer I used to work with who was a Sikh. I am the kind of person that engages anyone in conversation regardless of skin color, religion, or what ever difference may exist. As it turns out, he was a nice guy, kind of funny actually. I think many never got to know him because of his head wrap. I've realized we're all the same regardless of our outward wrapping. Humans want the same things - to be loved and accepted, to know they're not in this world alone, to have a shoulder to cry on or someone to laugh with. I love the various dialects I encounter as I talk to different people - I love the broken English, or patois, or having someone explain a proverb that they say in their native tongue. I also remember working with a Russian programmer who thought a "redneck" was a compliment. After smiling, I explained that it may be considered a derogatory term.
As Christians, we're all supposed to be one in Christ and yet sometimes Christians are the worse offenders of separating by ethnicity or gender. I know I've felt out of place at church many times because I'm the only brown hued person. Crazy enough, while many think they don't judge they're so many automatic assumptions made about me before I open my mouth. When we first got married, we attended a church on the North Shore of Long Island. You could feel the initial awkwardness when folks first met us- it was as if they'd never met an intact young black family - but then they quickly got over themselves. Once people get to know us, they realize we don't fit their stereotypes. In some ways though, I do fit their stereotype - I like expressive worship, and music with soul - I'm not a fan of these modern day praise and worship songs.
I guess some of these biases show up because everyone at church may not be a believer or they're still wrestling with their demons.
In Christ, we are one. "Under the blessed spirit of Christianity, they have equal rights, equal privileges, and equal blessings; and, let me add, they are equally useful."(Clarke's Commentary on the Bible)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
Have you ever felt discriminated at church? Do biases prevent you from interacting with others? Pray about it.
Good one.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness I don't feel this way but definitely another senseless shooting!
ReplyDeleteIt's really heartbreaking to know that things like this STILL happen. It's just so senseless! I think that we all have prejudices and biases -- whether hidden or explicit -- and we need to check them and work on them in order to overcome them.
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