Sharing the Dream

CBN.com - The elderly woman stood looking at her house and shaking her head. The tornado that had ripped through her town had been a shock, for sure. And she had been surprised by the 14 volunteers who had quickly shown up to put a new roof on her home and repair her front porch and windows. The speed with which they had completed the job was nothing short of amazing! But what shocked her most was the color of the group.

How sad that it often takes a disaster for people to look beyond skin color and simply see another person in need. In God’s eyes we are all equal. The civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s focused attention on discrimination against African Americans in the U.S., and resulted in the abolishment of a number of unfair laws and practices. Martin Luther King Jr. was the movement’s most influential leader and used his eloquent speaking ability to articulate blacks’ grievances. Sadly, King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. In 1983, Congress made the third Monday in January a federal holiday to honor King.

One of the most memorable highlights of King’s career was a speech delivered on August 28, 1963, to a gathering in Washington, D.C., King said, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.’ ”

Prejudice appears to be a universal weakness in human nature, with every race and every group of people. We all struggle with a tendency to judge others by external characteristics rather than their intrinsic value as people created by God. If not skin color, we may discriminate on the basis of economic or educational status, physical attractiveness, clothing, manners, or accent.

In his letter to early believers, James described a hypothetical situation to show the importance of not favoring one person over another. ">(James 2:1-13CloseJames 2:1-13 My dear brothers and sisters,* how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting* dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"—well, doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? But you dishonor the poor! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name* you bear? Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself."* But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws. For the same God who said, "You must not commit adultery," also said, "You must not murder."* So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law. So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ) His example included two men visiting a worship service, one dressed in fine clothes and the other shabbily dressed. The rich man was given the best seat while the poor man was told to stand or sit on the floor. “Aren't you discriminating against people and using a corrupt standard to make judgments?” James challenged. ">(verse 4) He labeled such preferential treatment as how God views it: “If you favor one person over another, you're sinning.” ">(verse 9)

Anyone who claims to be free of prejudice is kidding themselves. We all react to people according to preconceived notions and our first impressions. It’s human nature to identify with some people more than others based on any number of things. But that doesn’t give us an excuse to treat some people better than others.

Such behavior is incompatible with faith in Jesus Christ. God wants us to do our best to treat everyone with dignity, respect, and compassion. Rather than act on the basis of our impressions, we can remember that each person we meet is someone whom God created and Jesus died for. Since God went to such lengths to offer his favor to everyone, how can we favor one person over another?

In ">Galatians 3:28CloseGalatians 3:28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile,* slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) we are given a beautiful picture of relationships among believers as God intended:

“There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

One in Christ—that’s a dream we should all have.

Ask yourself: Do I do my best not to let preconceived notions or first impressions affect how I treat people?

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Related Links:

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This material is adapted from Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily Meditations on Questions from Scripture (Baker Books, 2010) with permission.

Dianne Neal Matthews lives in the Salt Lake City area. Her publishing credits include magazine articles, newspaper features, Bible studies, stories in compilation books, and several daily Devotions including The One Year Women of the Bible (Tyndale House, 2007). She serves as a correspondent for FindingGodDaily.com, and also enjoys speaking and teaching at writers’ conferences. To learn more, visit www.DianneNealMatthews.com or connect with her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/dianne.n.matthews) or Twitter (@DianneNMatthews).