My brethren, show no partiality as you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

–James 2:1

It isn’t always easy to avoid the destructive political or sociological thinking that instantly caricatures people into stereotypes these days.  The news is filled with racial and cultural tensions and I must fight my tendency to draw lines where God has not with regard to others.

Jesus shows no partiality. But I do when my guard is down.

Let me illustrate.

Recently I was in my car in line behind a van waiting to pay a parking attendant. A lady in a beautiful floral headdress was driving the van. I am assuming it was a religious headdress of some kind. I have no prejudice to religious headdresses. I was waiting my turn when I turned to get something out of my purse, as there was an unusually long wait. I don’t recall many details except that I accidentally honked my horn. Horrified simply because it’s not like me to honk a horn for such a mundane occurrence, I looked up, smiled and waved politely.

What the lady saw was not a wave, but a pointed index finger looking like I was being disapproving.

You see, I had my money in hand to pay the cashier. That was the hand I chose to wave with, but the only fingers I managed to raise was my single index finger.

Immediately I realized I may be coming across as disapproving to her in some manner, and she might assume my response was racially, politically, culturally or religiously charged. She also may have simply thought I was being impatient and rude as the wait was unusually long. Whatever she thought, she responded with a straight face and drove off.

I learned that my fear of coming across as partial is part of my problem. I am seeking today to be less afraid of coming across as prejudicial and instead to respond lovingly no matter what as Christ calls through the writings of the apostle Paul.

Make love your aim… – 1 Corinthians 14:1

I realize the context for the Scriptures cited are from a church-plant leader to the congregations he is encouraging; but what I have learned about God’s design of family is that if I practice first with my natural and spiritual families what I should, it becomes more natural to extend it to others.

Instead of seeing headdresses, fish images, angry bumper stickers, SUVs, econo-cars, red, yellow, black and white, my love-aim is to see living, breathing people, made in God’s image.

On my walk this morning, a car drove by going out of my neighborhood. I had never seen the woman behind the wheel. The woman was of a race different than mine. A race that the world says should make us enemies-the world sometimes talks out of both sides of its mouth while seeming to want to “bring people together.” So I agree with the side of the world’s mouth that sides with God. And God says, no partiality.

On my walk this morning, a car drove by going out of my neighborhood. I had never seen the woman behind the wheel. The woman was of a race different than mine. A race that the world says should make us enemies-the world sometimes talks out of both sides of its mouth while seeming to want to “bring people together.” So I agree with the side of the world’s mouth that sides with God. And God says, no partiality.

So I waved my neighborly wave and then realized I didn’t know this woman. But my wave drew a huge smile from her, and my soul was immediately infused with joy!

Jesus knows reflecting impartiality is a nutrient my spirit needs to grow into his likeness for it brings deep peace.

Amazing!