...those words probably come to my mind way too often when i'm driving. i'm not a full on road rager, but i can get pretty condescending and quite the inner-attitude with other people from behind the wheel. it's a weakness to say the least. this week though, our pastor preached on racism and prejudice, an unusual sermon to say the least, but one as Christians we probably don't hear enough. it really got me reflecting on MY prejudices and how i quite often make snap-judgements on people based on how they look.
a lady in her flashy suburban combat utility vehicle cuts me off and immediately i jump at the chance of writing her off as a snobby, money-grubbing golddigger in a loveless marriage. the overweight man with an oxygen tank zipping around walmart on an electric scooter is just an out-of-control redneck that probably spends his welfare checks on snack cakes, porn and cigarettes. the young asian man in a collared polo and khakis was probably adopted by white parents, is super smart and works at TVA.
those are just some of the snap-judgements i'll think through in my head sometimes. brutal honesty 'eh? i'm really attempting this week to pull back from those prejudices, and i feel that most of us if we're honest experience these type of rash opinions, but Jesus was a guy that even the pharisees (ya know, the ones that HATED him and wanted him dead) said he loved all people. the only ones Jesus really had a problem with were the overly-religious hypocrites that said one thing at church, did another thing with their lifestyle and critisized the exact thing they were doing that came from others.
this week, i'm going to strive to be more like Jesus when it comes to how i view people, and less like someone that makes snap-judgements and lives like a pharisee.