Sept 8: Royal Treatment

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

St. James is exaggerating a little when he describes how people might greet visitors or new members in the church. Hopefully, no one was that obvious at treating wealthy members better than poor ones. Sadly, prejudice is a sin that is just as prevalent today as it was 2000 years ago. Today we have laws for business and government to prevent prejudice. But the subtler forms of judging people by their race, clothing, speech, religion, etc. sometimes hide behind patriotism, faith, or the desire to protect our families. So how can we stop it?

One reason for prejudice is ignorance. Some people will believe anything they hear or read, especially if they see it on the internet. When you get an e-mail that says “true Americans” are white, English-speaking Christians, there is probably some prejudice behind it. The only way to fight ignorance is with the truth. Jesus himself said the truth will set you free. (Jn 8:32) He ignored the laws/traditions that said you cannot associate with unclean people, Gentiles, or sinners. He told us that God loves all people, even sinners, so what right do we have to judge someone just because they are different? 

A second reason for prejudice is fear. We are told that certain neighborhoods are dangerous. Or an older adult sees three teenage boys walking down the street and because of her fear, she thinks they could be gang members. Sometimes fear stops us from helping the needy. But remember how many times Jesus tells us in the gospels, “Do not be afraid.”

If we can learn to see Christ in all peoples, regardless of their race or lifestyle, we are beginning to leave prejudice behind. If we teach our children to respect the poor, the disabled, the homeless, we can help them to understand what James meant about God choosing the “poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom.” (Jas 2:5)

Tom Schmidt