LIVING WITHOUT PREJUDICES IS DIFFICULT
Nicodemus asked, “Does our law condemn people before it first hears them and finds out what they are doing” - John 7:51
One of the hardest spiritual tasks is to live without prejudices. Sometimes we aren’t even aware how deeply rooted our prejudices are. We may think that we relate to people who are different than we are in color, religion, sexual orientation, cultural background or lifestyle as equals, but in concrete circumstances our spontaneous thought, uncensored words, and knee-jerk reactions often reveal that our prejudices are still there.
Strangers, people different from us, stir up fear, discomfort, suspicion, and hostility. They make us lose our sense of security just by being “other.” Only when we fully claim that God loves us in an unconditional way and look at “those other persons” as likewise loved can we begin to discover that the great variety in humanity is an expression of the immense richness of God’s heart. Then the need to prejudge people can gradually disappear; or at least its hold on us will lessen. Consequently, we grow in seeing and loving as God sees and loves.
“Lord, make known to me my prejudices and help me to overcome them.”
adapted from Henri Nouwen