Prejudice

The headline is quite startling. 'More people in Britain admit to being racially prejudiced'. With data from the British Social Attitudes survey, it was found that 30% of more than 2,000 people polled described themselves as either "very" or "a little" race prejudiced. 

But also today, it is reported that the Archbishop of Canterbury is in Pakistan, to provide support for beleaguered Pakistani Christians (nearly 3% of the population) because of the relentless prejudice, persecution and discrimination that they face from the majority Muslim community.

It seems to me that all of us are prejudiced in many different ways, most of which we keep under cover of social pleasantness. But recent anti-immigration rhetoric has made it easier and even fashionable to speak disparagingly and aggressively about people who are different from us. 

Was Jesus, or Paul or others from the early Christian communities prejudiced? I don't think so, and I face the challenge daily of reflecting the life of Jesus. 

St. Paul, when writing to a group of Christians in eastern Turkey, made this astonishing comment. 'For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile,slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3.26-28)

Being united in our faith in Jesus Christ brings an astonishing sense of sharing in the family of God. Nonetheless, in many churches, there are tensions between different sorts of people. But the principle is clear that we should have no prejudice within the household of faith. 

Learning to extend that generosity to all people because of our shared humanity is much more challenging. Tensions easily surface when communities feel themselves to be under pressure from 'them', whoever they may be. 

St. Paul, preaching in Athens, reminded his Greek audience that we all come from the same source. 'From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.' (Acts 17.26)

So today, I shall aim to see everyone I meet as a sister or a brother, made in the image of God and loved by Him. That should help me deal with my prejudices.

Best wishes,

Richard