I grew up in a culture where my color was in the extreme minority. There was only one other in my fourth grade class of the same color. When I moved, it was to a place where my color was commonplace and where prejudice by my color against others was as rampant and ancestral as the prejudice “they” held against us.
One of my daughters just returned from another country where the native population is treated with disrespect and disgust and open loathing. They are even charged higher prices in the market. All by another ethnic group who are immigrants to this nation.
I see teachers and parents screaming and shouting at children, whether young or teen treating them in ways that they never expect to have reciprocated or copied.
I see employers making arbitrary and stereotype-based decisions based on an employee’s sex. I see them implementing unfair pay practices based on favoritism or expediency. I see discipline and termination occur on a whim, based more on personal preference than policy and principle.
I see preachers and pew-sitters, no matter what the denomination, talking of “us” and “them” when referring to all those not belonging to their particular fellowship.
When will it all end?
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 NIV.
When will it all end? Never! Until we follow the never critical, always loving example of Jesus Christ.
What divisions are you making this week? Are you choosing to value others by an arbitrary characteristic- something that makes them different?
Are you a supervisor choosing to treat young employees with criticism and negativity rather than affirmation and support? Are you a parent whose children feel ugly and dumb, rather than beautiful and special? Are you a teacher whose students hear more shouted words of anger and impatience than calmly spoken ones of guidance and encouragement?
There is neither teacher nor student, Catholic nor Protestant, employer nor employee, poor nor rich, educated nor experienced.
Whatever your role is- at home, on the job, in the pew, no matter what your spiritual focus, I challenge you to see the value and intrinsic goodness in treating those around you as if they have a very high, and very equal, value.
Father, let me lift up those around me where ever I am, no matter what their color or creed, their social or financial status, their age or sex. Let me value each one like Jesus values them. Power me to fight prejudice and pride, injustice and unfairness, divisions and biases, in people, and in organizations, and in me.