“My dear brothers and sisters, fellow believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ—how could we say that we have faith in him and yet we favor one group of people above another?” (James 2:1 TPT)
I used to be afraid of all dogs when I was young. Since my family didn’t have pets, my concepts about dogs came mostly from other sources. I saw dogs with sharp teeth barking and jumping in other people’s yards. My parents taught me to keep away since dogs might bite. It wasn’t until I got my first golden retriever that I finally started to see dogs differently. I am less suspicious of some breeds now. If a strange golden retriever were to walk up to me on the street, I would probably pet it. If a Rottweiler were to do the same, I would not. Both could be friendly. Both could knock me down--resulting in a broken hip. On a superficial level, I can acknowledge this fact--but my instinctive reactions are deeply subconscious. My son jokes that I am prejudiced against different breeds of dogs. This is true. I prejudge dogs based on their appearance and my limited experience. I am still suspicious of certain breeds while familiar breeds feel less threatening.
I am ashamed to admit this, but my prejudice extends to humans too. I am instinctively more comfortable around strangers that look like me. I acknowledge that external appearance does not align with character, but my subconscious still operates at a primal level. Denial stunts growth. I have to examine my unconscious biases. I must intentionally excise these mental malignancies. Otherwise, I will continue to inadvertently participate and perpetuate the problem. I cannot claim to follow Christ and show favoritism. This would be hypocritical. Christ taught us to love one another, and love excludes all prejudice.
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