Prejudice

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. (Ephesians 2:11-16 ESV).

 

Charlie the Tuna is the cartoon mascot and spokes-tuna for the StarKist brand. He was created in 1961 by Tom Rogers of the Leo Burnett Agency. These ads coined a new phrase for the teens of the 60’s and 70’s, “Sorry, Charlie!” The gist of the advertising was that since Starkist only used the best tuna in their brand offerings and Charlie was always an inferior tuna, he always received a rejection. It wouldn’t matter how many good things he could do, he was simply inferior in the eyes of the packing company and thus could never qualify for inclusion. It wouldn’t have mattered to me… as you may know, I simply don’t eat any tuna!

 

This brings me to a very important thought and Scripture for today though. We have seen a full display of exclusion boil over in our day. However we ought to remember that prejudice is not new, nor is it acceptable in God’s eyes. Our reading details the Apostle Paul’s exhortation about prejudice. Remember, prejudice can be pictured as a circle that separates “us” from “them.” The people inside the circle are “normal” people, who are most like ourselves, similar skin color, ethnicity, values, abilities, language, gender identity, and so on. Because “we” inside the circle are “normal,” everyone outside the circle is “abnormal.” Therefore, people different from “us” in ethnicity, abilities, and so on must not be good enough. That’s simply wrong in the eyes of God.

 

The ancient Israelites thought of themselves as normal people and everyone else as abnormal. In fact, they thought that they alone were selected to receive God’s favor.

But through the prophet Isaiah God told them that the promised Savior was coming for all people. “I will . . . make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). Praise God that Jesus came to destroy the sinful distinction we make between “normal” and “abnormal” humans. He is creating a new humanity. Jesus came to put to death the hostility of prejudice and to create a new community of mutual love, no normal or abnormal people, no “us” and “them.”