“I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism” (1 Timothy 5:21).
God hates both partiality and favoritism. Another translation of this verse is, “be impartial when you follow what I’ve told you. Never play favorites” (GW). It is easy to fall into the trap of playing favorites. I’m like most of us. I’m comfortable around people who look like me, think like me and act like me. Pastoring has helped me immensely. I’m from the South but I’ve pastored people from New England to the West Coast. I’m Caucasian but I’ve pastored Asians and African-Americans. Gwen and I lived in Australia for two years and I spoke at a conference for Aboriginal pastors. I’ll never forget it. They were some of the most remarkable people I have ever met.
Prejudice is wrong! God made all of us; even the ones who aren’t like me. There is one race—the human race—and Jesus died for all of us. The lesson for us is plainly explained by Paul: “Never play favorites.” When Peter was sent to preach to Cornelius, a Gentile, he began with a statement about God: “Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism’ ” (Acts 10:34).
Prejudice is a demonstration of injustice and it is an unloving attitude that doesn’t represent God as He is. At a funeral I met some of Gwen’s family. They were different from me in the way they were reared. They loved to hunt—I don’t. They have guns—I own one I’ve never fired. They don’t go to church—I do. They were so kind and welcoming that I said to a couple of them, “Thanks for accepting me.” One responded, “Thanks for accepting us.” That mutual attitude could change the world.
