Sensible Probability or Sinful Prejudice
In my neighborhood if I observe a young hooded black man with a cell phone exchange something through a car window, there is what I call a sensible probability that a drug deal just went down. I could be wrong but … However, if I then form a judgement that all hooded black men with cell phones are drug dealers I have crossed a line into a sinful prejudice. That line is not always clear but never the less it is a real line and God sees it even if we don’t.
Even Nathaniel crossed that line when he posed his rehetorical question about Jesus – “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathaniel had taken a sensible probability that the Messiah cound not come from Nazareth and turned it into a sinful prejudice based on his negative veiw of Nazareth. He didn’t ask if the Messiah could actually come from Nazareth, he questions whether anything good at all can come from there.
Philip doesn’t argue with Nathaniel, he simply says, “Come and see.” In other words give this man a chance, judge him by his glory not by his group. Or as Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Judge him by the content of his character not by the color of his skin’, nor by his economic status, his educational level, or his external appearance.
I must acknowledge the great strides that have been made towards Dr. King’s dream but even with the election of a black president it has also highlighted how far we have to go. For the most part our Sunday mornings are still segregated and so are our campus ministries because there remains in our deceitful hearts a remant of sinful prejudice. So here is what I suggest: get to know others as individuals not as representatives of a group, take a risk to stand against negative stereotypes and repent when our sinful prejudices are revealed. Nathaniel did declaring, “Teacher, you are the Son of God.”
January 20th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Amen, Pastor. May I add that prejudice is not the only reason for segregated churches and fellowship groups. Seminaries and church leaders have championed institutionalized racism through church growth strategies based on homogeneous unit principle. The prevailing perspective of individualism in the US and the emphasis on “personal relationship with God” in the church diminishes the felt need for any kind of community, let alone a diverse community that might challenge my preconceptions or lifestyle. And might I suggest that maybe I’m just too lazy to allow myself to be stretched. Can I get a witness?
January 21st, 2010 at 10:44 am
Well said. We apply the HUP to our individual lives as well because it is just easier. It takes a lot of energy to learn from someone differnt than us.
January 21st, 2010 at 10:48 am
Good thoughts. Enjoyed reading.
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:18 am
Hi! I am a Metro Philly CCO staff, and I just met you last week at staff seminar. I’m the one that knows Timothious Pope from Summers Best Two Weeks.
It was really refreshing to see a biblical text in reference to this topic. I don’t see that happen that often, and it was very profound to me. Thanks for all you do Rodger! I am so thrilled that the CCO is taking this stuff seriously.
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