Take Away Discrimination

WE CANNOT DO WITHOUT THE PARTS OF THE BODY THAT SEEM TO BE WEAKER. 1 Corinthians 12.22.

In our day and age we still hear public complaints about discrimination according to race and colour in the marketplace. Discrimination among peoples is the curse of the society and nations. The discrimination between the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated or less educated, the fair and the dark-skinned, raises its subtle head in every society in one way or another! It has been the cause for race riots and massacres in many nations. The issue is being addressed by the nations but much is still undone! Maybe because the discrimination between the sexes has suddenly cropped up as a major issue of our times, the greater and more urgent need to stamp out discrimination among the peoples has been dwarfed and even pushed aside!

Regrettably, there has been and still exists many types of discrimination even within the Church, the Body of Christ, also. But the Scripture demands equal acceptance of all. The Church of Christ should take the lead and show the world Christ’s way to equality for all!

In his letter, the apostle James addresses this issue in the early church with honesty. “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here's a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? You have insulted the poor.” (Jas 2.1-6).

The Corinthian church too had the problem of discrimination. But it was a matter of some having the ‘so-called greater or higher spiritual gifts’ than the others. Naturally those with the higher gifts expected greater honour! The members gave it to them! Those with ‘lesser gifts’ were looked down upon! The apostle Paul condemned this among the believers.

The discrimination on the basis of race and colour seen in the world is noticed in the Church also! In certain countries, churches are established according to the colour and race of the worshippers. It is not always that ‘the fair’ frowned on the dark-skinned. The coloured too have shown much contempt and hatred toward ‘the fair’!

The apostle Paul was the greatest exponent of ‘the oneness of the Church’. He compared the Church to “the Body of Christ. “Christ is a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. For the body itself is not made up of only one part, but of many parts”. "We cannot do without the parts of the body that seem to be weaker". “All of you are Christ's body, and each one is a part of it” (1 Cor 12.12-14; 22, 27).

It took a lot of courage and initiative from Jesus, a Jew, to walk through the land of the hated Samaritans, called ‘the dogs’, and to talk to a fallen Samaritan woman who was considered ‘a pariah’ even by her own people. You are His followers. Dear believer, act like Jesus in your daily dealings with everyone! Deliberately, begin to show love and compassion, not discrimination!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, there are discriminatory tendencies in me. Take them away. Let me not be prejudiced by race, colour or status, but love all. In Jesus’ name. Amen.