Prejudice: oh to see the kingdom of God come in such a way as to tear down any semblance of prejudice whether it is about ethnicity, social status, language or geography. Oh, to be able to see "the poor" eating together. I noticed that during the course of reading the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus doesn't say "blessed are those who don't have any money." If memory serves me correctly, it actually says "blessed are the poor in spirit"—the ones who are humble or low in spirit, the ones who are willing to have God's spirit come into their lives. How to come to such a conclusion? If one is already 'rich' in one's own spirit, they are not in need of, or at least can't see a need for, any other spirit. Where God's spirit is there is his presence and where his presence is, there his kingdom is. When we allow our own spirits to become poor, recognize what need is there, then we make ourselves available to receive God's spirit in order to enter more fully into the kingdom.
Back to prejudice; when we allow anything to separate us from the love of God, we allow sin into our lives. It frames like this for me, God commands me to love my neighbor as myself and for me to love my brothers and sisters and that through this love, and others will know what my faith is. How can I love my brother if I am never willing to break bread with my brother? How do I love if I only notice the social differences between us and allow that to become a sticking point which has me paying attention to that man made silvery colored idol known as a watch? I cannot see such as truly loving.
I am not yet the best at this. I have work to be done in this. Given the broader definition of prejudice, there are personal prejudices that I have to allow God to move out of His way in my own heart. I've always been fascinated by other cultures, but have mostly operated from a sense of ethnocentricity that has frequently interfered in making the connection that could be made. In my trips to Africa (specifically Nigeria) this has been significantly and blessedly challenged. My last trip was with people from the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) out of England. What a difference. In what, you might ask? Well, at least two of the members are Oxford graduates. Another was a retired chaplain from Her Majesty's Royal Marines. Another, from South Africa, is both a professional photographer and musician having been known to accompany such people as Matt Redman (who, if you are unfamiliar, is a world renowned Christian Worship Leader—as in the writer of "Blessed Be Your Name.") Then there is the founder of HART, the Baroness Caroline Cox. She is a trained nurse, worked as an educator in universities in England, and was appointed to the British House of Lords and had the title of Baroness bestowed upon her at the bequest of Lady Margaret Thatcher, who was at the time the Prime Minister of England, if memory serves me correctly. The Baroness has worked all around the world as an advocate for human rights, bringing to the attention of the British Parliament and the world the stories of those who have faced tyranny, oppression and even genocide. Yet, they took me in as one of the team this past June. I had the most blessed experience of being able to meet with political leaders in Nigeria. I had the blessed experience of even getting to see the differences in the way the Baroness and her team were engaged versus the way I and those who came with me last year were engaged. There was no wall of separation between myself and the team from HART. Why would there be? I am an American firstly. Please try to understand, that around the world, Americans are not a popular people. Secondly, I do not have the documented level of education as those I was traveling with. I have college, yes. I also have very specialized training given my profession, career experience and ordination. Yet, I do not have the worldly education that those outside of the US have. We think that Lindsey's next rehab stay is headline news. There was so much of the world I had never known about. When able to admit this, it was still not held against me. Instead, I was offered time to absorb information and asked to contribute to discussions given my own opinion and interpretation of facts and evidence as well as personal opinion and "other".
Why does this not happen on a more regular basis? Why do we not set aside our pride and arrogance in order to gird ourselves with a towel and become the servants our own master became? Is your sensitivity to odor worth more than another person's life? These are the hard questions that I believe must be answered and the answers are to be found in our own submission to God's will for us. I have to become as my master and teacher if I am to be a true imitator. That is what becoming a disciple is about. I should be sitting at the feet of the master long enough so that when I speak, I speak as he would speak. When I act, I should act as he would act. And, when I love, I should love as he loved……willing to hear, willing to spend time, willing to teach and correct, and most importantly, ready to forgive any offense and looking forward to the time when forgiveness is asked for.
I pray that God's kingdom come in so much power that it tears down any prejudice in me, no matter how small. If you would, please join me in that prayer.
