A PERSONAL ISSUE Whether we realize it or not, it is difficult for us to detect if we harbor certain prejudices in our heart. The Bible explains why this is so when it states: “The heart is more deceitful than anything else.” (Jeremiah 17:9, Holman Christian Standard Bible) Thus, we might deceive ourselves into believing that we are tolerant of people of all types. Or we might rationalize that we have a valid reason to hold a negative view of people of certain groups.How would you feel if you were faced with a scene like this?To illustrate the challenge of discerning whether we might harbor a hidden prejudice, imagine the following scenario: You are walking down a street alone in the dark of night. Two young men whom you have never seen before are approaching you. They look strong, and one of them appears to have something in his hand.Do you conclude that the young men pose a threat to you? Granted, your past experiences may tell you that you should be cautious, but do those experiences really justify your concluding that thesetwo young men are a danger? A more probing question would be, Which race or ethnic group did you imagine these men to be? Your answer to this question could be quite revealing. It may indicate that to some extent, you have already been affected by the seeds of prejudice.If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that deep down we all harbor varying degrees of prejudice in one form or another. Even the Bible acknowledges a very common form of prejudice when it states: “People judge others by what they look like.” (1 Samuel 16:7, Contemporary English Version) Since all of us are plagued with this human tendency—often with disastrous consequences—is there any hope that we can overcome or eliminate prejudice in our life? And will we ever see a time when the whole world will be free of prejudice?
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 09:23:11 +0000
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