Stereotyping...

No I'm not just typing to the music. :) Have been in a bible study on the book of James and verses 2:1-4 really have me thinking. Essentially I believe God through James is telling us not to judge people by how they appear -- and that we must love equally and all. Jeepers....who am I supposed to be? God? Ha ha ha...the answer is yes...yes you are called to be the face of God to others. Oh stink. This is one of those challenges I do great with....and then I get out of bed.

I've have prided myself on my ability to read people pretty quickly...but to be honest, if that's what I'm doing, I'm stereotyping. Lumping people into easily into categories and jumping to quick conclusions about them. And on my superficial reading of James, I believe I'm being told...."Hey knock it off."

But I fall into the trap time and again. At work, there are groups we stereotype based on ways the majority of the group act. Let's be honest, stereotyping works because it can reflect "cultural" differences, "educational" differences, "financial differences, political differences and so on. Recently, as I was having dinner with a friend who is more liberal than I am, I was telling a story and without thinking I personally identified her by telling her how much she would get a kick out the story of my daughter wanting to protest for the rainforest. I'm not positive but I think I really hurt her by my words. She did point out "I love how you think I'm going to enjoy that story." I don't believe she meant that "love" in the way I did. I stereotyped her and may have missed out on a deeper understanding of her heart. I shut it off because I figured I already knew her because of a stereotype I had in my head for how her political beliefs might influence her without knowing for sure.

I can point to many examples of times when my "first impressions" were off. And I also have to tell you even if my impression was right on, I still had an opportunity to learn from people I didn't respect or even like -- say nothing of love. So why can't I learn to have a heart like Jesus...for all God's children?

And yet, there are people who can get on my one last nerve like nobody's business. Frankly, I can't even always pinpoint what they do that makes me grind my teeth....but I know I deliberately close down when I am around them. Afraid I may snap and say something truly hurtful. I at least get that much of God's message. But I don't love them....and certainly not enough to die for them.

I haven't even touched on people who have either deliberately or accidentally hurt me. I've been busy building up a wall the last couple of days because an acquaintance of mine, in the guise of her job, wrote a letter critical of my husband. Mind you....I haven't even laid eyes on the letter...but the idea that it exists starts me wall building....and by the way....I do have boiling oil for those that try to cross that wall when they are on the other side.

Clearly I'm not fulfilling what I'm reading in James. My heart cries out..."But God -- you can't mean it. Look at these people....God they don't get it and they annoy and anger me. How can you expect me to love them." Talk about unlovable.

And that's part of it. God doesn't expect me to love them. He wants to give His love to them through me. Oh Lord...this is definitely be a "carry me" because I can't do this on my own.