Everywhere I Go: Learning to See JesusSample

THE TRUTH ABOUT PREJUDICE Prejudice is not a twentieth century phenomenon. Why were the Jewish Christians so slow in reaching the "uttermost parts" of their world with the gospel? I can give you the answer in one word: prejudice. The Jews hated the Samaritans. They had no dealings with the Gentiles. But God intended that the way of salvation be made available to all men, regardless of their heritage. Do you know what lies at the root of all prejudice? It's pride. And pride is something that God absolutely abhors. Many in our world today are prejudiced against those of a different heritage - whose skin is a different color, or whose language is not their own. But we are all sons of Adam, made from the dust of the ground. There is no skin color that is better than another; no country of origin that is favored over the rest. When I was growing up in the rural south, I had many occasions to witness prejudice, but I remember one instance where it was confronted, and overcome. The pastor of my home church in Laurel, Mississippi, invited a young woman with an incredible voice to sing for our congregation. The entire church rose up against him because of it, and he survived with his job by the skin of his teeth. Why the opposition? Because this teenaged woman was black. But the invitation stood, and she sang - and the most famous thing about my home church today is that once, years ago, one of the greatest sopranos in all of history sang there. Her name was Leontyne Price.