Yes, You Are Prejudiced.

Christians need to stop being offended by the idea that they could be prejudiced. Everyone is prejudiced, and we discover this dark side of humanity in scripture.

You can listen to an audio version of this article here.

Prejudicial Thoughts in Everyday Life

Charles had sold his Coupe and the guy was coming from Compton to pick it up today. He couldn’t have been happier!

He had recently decided to make several changes in his life, including moving out of state. That involved selling a number of his larger possessions and he figured he didn’t need a sports car PLUS a Land Rover. The Land Rover would come in more useful in Colorado, so he listed the Coupe for $20k and couldn’t believe he had a buyer the same day.

Around noon, Julio came to test drive the Coupe. It was to his liking and he offered him the $20k in cash on the spot. Charles accepted readily and was relating the story to his coworkers just a few minutes after waving goodbye.

“Probably drug money,” he said, “but who cares? I can’t believe I sold it the first day it was listed!”

Nobody’s Exempt from Prejudice

Nobody sees themselves as malicious. Each of us want to be liked by others and we see ourselves as quite likable. Even when dealing with feelings of inferiority, they usually stem from an inner confidence that we are likable.

This causes us to be entirely unaware of the ways in which we make distinctions among ourselves in our own heads. After all, the way we see it makes sense.

To Charles, a guy from Compton who goes by Julio and pays $20k in cash is probably a part of a gang and selling drugs.

It’s common enough that he doesn’t even pause to consider how Julio may be a recent immigrant from Mexico who happened to land in Compton because it offered the cheapest housing, and who deals primarily in cash because he gets paid in cash by his American employer who sees folks like him as “cheap labor” and a way to avoid payroll taxes.

In the meantime, Julio is developing the perspective that American employers do whatever they can to cheat the government of their money.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’re intentions are, you hold biased perspectives within yourself and it’s time you start acknowledging that.

We like to think that we are above this kind of prejudice. Yet, if we’re going to live with a truly biblical worldview, we must acknowledge that part of biblical story is the cosmic struggle of partiality among men.

Nobody’s exempt.

The Walls of Prejudice We Build

The apostle James wrote,

“For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”

This passage casts a spotlight on a dark corner of our hearts, revealing the fertile soil where prejudice sprouts. He challenges us to recognize the inherent tendency within us to “show partiality” (verse 3) and favor those we deem worthy.

Social theories didn’t construct the idea of personal biases, whether implicit or explicit. They’re rooted in our fallen nature, a consequence of sin and separation from God. We instinctively seek familiarity, drawing comfort from “us” against the perceived “them.” This tendency manifests in countless ways, weaving invisible walls that divide us.

Consider the echo chambers created by our political bubbles. We curate social media feeds and news sources that reinforce our beliefs, while dismissing opposing viewpoints as irrelevant or even dangerous. Regional rivalries, often fueled by historical narratives and cultural differences, can blossom into prejudice, painting entire communities with a single brushstroke.

I can’t tell you how many times I’d hear, “Bet you’re glad to get out of there!” after moving from California to Colorado. It always amused me because Colorado is very similar to California. But many people from different states have an impression of California that isn’t entirely accurate because of the narratives their community tells itself about what California must be like.

Even our seemingly innocuous social circles can perpetuate bias.

We gravitate towards those who share our interests and backgrounds, leaving others on the outside looking in.

This commonly shows up in ethnicity and religious beliefs. How ethnically diverse is your friendship group? How comfortable are you talking about spiritual matters with people who hold different beliefs?

I don’t mean to suggest that simply diversifying your friendship groups eliminates prejudice; it doesn’t. What I’m pricking at is that we all have certain normalcies we gravitate towards and that reality points to the universality of prejudice within all the human race.

It shows up in our views on the medical establishment, influenced by personal experiences and media narratives, can lead to distrust and discrimination against specific healthcare practices or institutions. Wealth and career choices, often intertwined with societal hierarchies, can also reveal our bias, leading us to judge individuals based on their economic status or professional path.

You and I are prejudice. Period. End of story.

That’s not a statement of judgment, a way to sort of write each other off and push others out of our lives. It’s a statement of reality, the brokenness of this creation. The way forward is not found in cancelation or denial but repentant confession of the human heart.

Prejudice like this lies hidden within the recesses of our unconscious. Nobody wakes up with the goal of cultivating destructive prejudices. They’re shaped slowly over time by our upbringing, the messages we absorb from society, and the assumptions embedded within our local communities. These prejudices operate below the surface of our awareness and we don’t usually know they exist. Others point them out.

And it’s not always pretty.

Like when my wife offhandedly pointed out early on in our marriage how I always won the arguments.

“That’s not true,” I said.

“Yes it is,” she retorted. “You’re always ‘right.’“

And in my own mind, I thought I was right about a lot of things. I never realized how my conclusions about the motives of people who did certain things rubbed her wrong. After all, she did some of those very things and my conclusions weren’t true of her.

We may hold negative associations with certain groups without even realizing it.

This leads to unintentional microaggressions and discriminatory behavior, like insisting on winning the arguments with my wife.

These subconscious snares keeps us trapped in cycles of prejudice. Even when we profess good intentions, we live out of prejudice at one level or another. It takes humility to let others point them out to us, but it helps to experience someone else’s prejudice first hand.

I’m sure we all have our own stories of facing prejudicial behavior. One time someone dismissed my thoughts in a conversation because, “You come from California so you’re liberal.” Experiences like this help me realize how damaging my conclusions about others can be on my wife.

Bridging the Divide: Christ’s Radical Reconciliation

While prejudice builds walls, Ephesians 2:11-16 paints a breathtaking landscape of Christ’s revolutionary act to unify even the most divided communities.

Imagine the stark historical context: Jews and Gentiles, steeped in centuries of animosity and religious, ethnic, and political divide. Within this context, Paul declares, “He has broken down the dividing wall of hostility…” (verse 14). Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t merely a personal redemption; it was a deliberate bridge spanning the chasm of prejudice, tearing down the barriers that separated not just individuals, but entire groups.

He didn’t merely dismantle these external structures; He addressed the very root of prejudice – the “hostility” residing within our hearts. His work wasn’t a cosmetic renovation; it was a radical reconstruction, forging a “one new humanity” (verse 15) out of the fragmented pieces of our divided world.

Christ became the “middle wall of partition” (verse 14), not to reinforce the divide, but to be the ultimate point of contact, the shared ground where all find access to the Father (verse 18).

The implications are life-altering.

In Christ, our earthly distinctions – cultural background, ethnicity, political preferences, social status – transform from reasons to hate each other to love and learn from each other. We stand equal, embraced by a love that transcends any human construct. Our access to God isn’t based on our earthly accolades or perceived worth. Our communion with Him rests solely on the finished work of Christ. Anyone who embrace His sacrifice can access this finished work.

Such shared ground becomes the foundation for a radical community, where prejudice finds no purchase. Instead of judging each other by the yardsticks of earthly divisions, we learn to see through the eyes of Christ, recognizing the image of God in every human being. Paul envisions a church where we do not rank each other based on whether one is a Jew or a Gentile, slave or free, male or female. Rather, we view our differences through the shared oneness we experience in Jesus Messiah (Galatians 3:28).

This reality may seem idealistic, a distant dream in a world still marred by prejudice. Yet, the seed of unity has been planted, watered by the atoning work of Christ, and nurtured by the Holy Spirit. The challenge now lies with us, the body of Christ, to cultivate this radical reconciliation in our actions, relationships, and communities.

Dismantling Prejudice Brick by Brick

How do we translate this vision into the nitty-gritty of everyday life? Through intentional, practical steps – small bricks that, laid diligently, pave the path towards genuine unity.

• Active Listening: Stepping out of our echo chambers and truly listening to those whose experiences differ from our own is crucial. When I gave my wife the space to share her stories, I began to see how some my conclusions about people were built on false assumptions and ignorance.
• Empathy & Intercultural Dialogue: Seeking to understand perspectives beyond our own, engaging in respectful dialogue across cultural divides, and actively dismantling our own internal biases are vital steps in building bridges of understanding. While I found it amusing that people assumed I’d be happy to have left California, I had my own biases about rural folks. The more I talk with my neighbors in small town Colorado, the more I understand what aggravates them about Californians. There is a lot of misunderstanding, but that only be overcome through empathy and dialogue on both sides.
• Cross-cultural learning: Stepping outside our comfort zones and immersing ourselves in different cultures through literature, music, and even food broadens our understanding and appreciation for the mosaic of humanity. Some of you haven’t experienced much outside of your local community or religious subculture. On the other hand, the rest of us may subconsciously take so much pride in our diverse experiences that we fail to cross the cultural divide with those who haven’t experienced many other cultures. There is always more learning to do.
• Intentionally Diverse Relationships: Going beyond surface interactions and intentionally fostering friendships with individuals from various backgrounds and social circles disrupts our habitual patterns of prejudice and opens up new avenues for understanding and growth. Don’t become friends with someone so you can interrogate them about their experience. Seek out genuine friendships with people of other ethnic backgrounds, genders, age ranges than yourself so that you can be shaped by them and become a healthier person with a more holistic perspective.

The Danger of a Single Story

In her powerful TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie argues that we often tell single stories about people and places, which can lead to misunderstandings and prejudice. For example, Adichie’s American roommate assumed she could not speak English well, lived in a hut, and had never used a stove. These assumptions stemmed from a single story of Africa as a place of poverty and lack of technological advancement. Such a story completely ignored the country’s diversity and development.

Adichie further highlighted how Western media often tells a single story of Africa focused on war and famine. Growing up in Nigeria, she experienced a happy childhood with a loving family, despite also facing political and economic challenges. This personal experience shows how the single story of Africa can erase diverse lived experiences within the continent.

In short,

• We often tell single stories about people and places that are different from us.
• The danger of a single story is that it can create stereotypes and make it difficult to see people as individuals.
• These single stories can lead to prejudice and discrimination.
• We need to listen to a wide variety of stories so we can have a more holistic view of humanity.
• We need to tell more stories about people and places that are different from us so the single story isn’t perpetuated.

We Need the Holy Spirit

Something I failed to understand early on was that prejudicial mindsets are not changed by information. Information can help confront and expose our prejudices, but it cannot transform us into truly loving people.

Only the Holy Spirit transforms us.

He equips us with the insight and strength to confront our inner biases. The Holy Spirit empowers us with the grace needed to forgive and love. Only He gives the wisdom to navigate the challenges that arise along the way.

As we surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leading, the bricks of prejudice loosen. The walls crumble. A posture of love and unity begins to form in their place.

In this reconciled community that is the true Church of Jesus, the diversity of voices becomes a symphony of love, echoing Christ’s radical message of redemption and transformation.

Remember, dismantling prejudice is an ongoing process, a perpetual chipping away at the walls that separate us. There will always be “reasons” for Charles to assume negative things about Hispanic guys from Compton.

But as Charles, along with the rest of us, learns to see people the way God sees people, he’ll recognize his assumptions earlier on, hold them at bay, and lean in with curiosity as he gets to know a new beautiful human being made in the image of God.

Question: In this article, I make a distinction between conscious and unconscious prejudice. Can you give examples of how you have witnessed each these? How does this distinction affect our responsibility to address prejudice? Share in the comments below.

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