Recently I was making a list of all the racial cliches that people use without realizing how it sounds to people of color. An example would be someone who says, “I’m not prejudiced, some of my best friends are people of color.”
Then I got to thinking about how versions of those types of cliches might have sounded during the time of Jesus. This is not a complete list. You are just being let in on the crazy thoughts in my mind.
HOW SOME RELIGIOUS FOLKS MIGHT HAVE RESPONDED
- I don’t judge people by what they eat.
- I’ve seen Samaritans be prejudice against me, why is that any different?
- Not everything has to be about religion. Why can’t we all just get along with each other and stop discussing religion?
- Let’s stop arguing about who Jesus is. it’s not worth the division it causes.
- I think tax collectors are the ones who are really greedy. They should clean up their act before we let them in.
- I think Paul’s emphasis on grace is unfavorable to the rest of us who worked so hard.
- Jesus is always forgiving the sinners. It makes it unfair for those of us who try to follow the rules.
- So what are we supposed to do fill the church with sinners and leave the good people on the outside?
- Why are the fishermen always being chosen? They don’t even have our education.
- I think all this talk about Pharisees this, and Sadducees that, just brings division. We should all get along together.
- So what if the Pharisees do like to sit with each other; I’ve seen tax collectors do the same.
- So Caiaphas was a little rough, inside he is really a good person.
- Why was Jesus always healing dirty lepers, lots of clean people also need help you know.
