Prejudice: Culture's Darkness

Culture plants some pretty nasty things into our hearts – and they sneak up on us so slowly and quietly that we don’t realize their effect. It’s like a stalactite hanging from the ceiling of a cave; one drip at a time, over a long period of time, eventually makes an immovable column. When the cultural stalactite is fully mature we process life and people with that in front of us, blocking our spiritual view, like a floater in one’s eye.

Friends, that’s how prejudices develop…against different ages, against different races, against men or women….the list goes on. Those cultural norms and ideas ‘help’ us sort people and circumstances into columns in our lives and we treat them accordingly.

Prejudices are from the pit of hell and they are meant to usurp the authority and power of the Spirit of God in us. They draw us to their pre-established judgment of people and away from discerning and trusting God. If Jesus had allowed the prejudices of the world to settle into Him the woman at the well would not have gotten saved…nor would the town’s people she witnessed to.

Discernment is not prejudice, and we are called to discern. However, if the discernment process is by-passed, if the Spirit’s input and direction is shut down, then we have reverted back to operating in an earthly kingdom and left Spiritual Kingdom behind us. But when we take all things before Him who knows each heart and mind, then He will reveal the stance we should take in every circumstance and with every individual.

We are called to live in the Light of Christ, not the darkness of a cave, where stalactites form. Those who are in Christ are a new race, called the “Royal Priesthood.” We are a nation of people set aside for living in the Light of God, a people led by the One who has saved us! (1 Pet 2:9, paraphrased)