When Prejudice Invades the Church
As an Asian-American woman, I can tell you from experience that xenophobia was alive and well long before the COVID-19 pandemic. An African-American friend of mine recently posted: “So tired of being a hashtag” after yet another killing of an innocent black person.
We see rants all over social media from Christians tearing down other Christians for their political views and decisions of conscience, and it’s not only happening in America. All over the world, humans share the uncanny ability to dehumanize others when differences exist.
As I write this, widespread suffering and loss have blanketed our world in uncertainty and fear. Prejudice has always existed, but in tumultuous times humans take shortcuts in thinking, seeking to blame others for the anguish they’re experiencing. In our post-Genesis 3 world, mankind by nature drifts towards division, not towards justice, mercy, and love. COVID-19, economic devastation, global hunger, and widespread fear only expose the preconceived biases that already reside in our hearts.
Prejudice is something I struggle with in my own heart. I’m so grateful for sisters and brothers who have gently corrected prejudices I have expressed or even acted on. They’ve helped to refine my understanding of the gospel by whittling away unbiblical edges that were more cultural than “Christian.”
So what do we do when prejudice invades the church? How should we respond?
A RADICAL RESPONSE
In the Bible, we find many examples of how the early church responded radically to cases of bias that arose. Take for example Acts 6:1–7. Luke records the first time deacons were commissioned to serve. The church was growing. The Greek-speaking Jews (Hellenists) complained against the more traditional Jewish Christians (Hebrews). The Greek-speaking widows, already a vulnerable minority group in society, were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.
“The different groups were prejudiced towards one another despite the fact that we shared the same ethnic heritage.”
I grew up in a church with mostly first-generation Chinese immigrants. Yet their kids, like myself, were ABCs—American-born Chinese. As we got older and more ABCs joined the church, an interesting dynamic developed. At times, there were tensions when it came to making decisions for the whole church because we were separated by accents, language, and cultural perspectives. The different groups were prejudiced towards one another despite the fact that we shared the same ethnic heritage. We were actually more diverse than we appeared.
A similar dynamic was at play in the church in Jerusalem. As commentator John Stott writes about this passage, “There had always, of course, been rivalry between these groups in Jewish culture; the tragedy is that it was perpetuated within the new community of Jesus who by his death had abolished such distinctions.”[1]
Instead of being dismissive, the apostles assembled the full number of disciples. The neglect was likely a case of oversight because the language doesn’t indicate that it was deliberate.[2] But the neglect indicates that there was a specific group in the church who were uncared for. The apostles were concerned for the care of these widows and decided that this issue warranted gathering the whole congregation. In a unified way, the church appointed seven godly men, gifts from God, commissioned to serve the church. Their example serves as a roadmap for us today.
A RADICAL UNDERSTANDING
Notice that the list of elected deacons included Greek names. The congregation was pleased to see the imbalance of care rectified. We see how God gives the church leaders to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. As every member serves, the body reaches full maturity, which is demonstrated in our unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God (Eph. 4:11–14).
The church, both leaders and members, grasped that how they dealt with this complaint was linked to their representation of Christ and the unity of the body. God obtained the church with his own blood (Acts 20:28), and her mission is to be a countercultural light in the world advancing the gospel. Christ’s atonement reconciled each of us back to God. But it also made us one people as Christ broke down the dividing wall of hostility in his flesh through the cross (Eph. 2:14–16). To resurrect those dividing walls of hostility would contradict the gospel because our “at one-ness” with him secures our “one-ness” with each other.
“To resurrect those dividing walls of hostility would contradict the gospel because our “at one-ness” with him secures our “one-ness” with each other.”
Luke also points out that the early church’s radical response to bias resulted in the Word of God increasing and the church multiplying with many new believers (v. 7)! Representing Christ well includes not only what we say but also what we do. As God’s treasured possession, our proclamations of his excellencies make him known and our unifying love makes his gospel attractive.
During these confusing times, the world will lean into its prejudices as a way of coping. It’s easier to believe that one’s limited perspective of life is everyone else’s reality. But for Christians, it’s a good thing to have our biases and blind spots revealed for our sanctification. And because Jesus fully paid for our sins, we are now free to respond in radical ways toward fellow image-bearers.
FOLLOW THE RADICAL EXAMPLE
For those who have felt the sting of prejudice or bias in the local church, I grieve deeply with you. Our creator God stands ready to walk with you through the pain of being unseen, misunderstood, hurt, or devalued. Cry out to him! And out of love, I will also encourage you to get ready to forgive and show grace because we are all connected to the same body with Jesus Christ as our head.
My prayer is that we would be encouraged to follow the early church’s example and honor God by working against biases and prejudices. We don’t pursue unity for unity’s sake, but because we truly understand what’s at stake. And as we do so, may God expand the borders of his kingdom to include more citizens!
Beverly Chao Berrus lives in Southern California with her husband Jason, a pastor in Los Angeles. They have three children. She contributed to His Testimonies, My Heritage: Women of Color on the Word of God. She also teaches for TGC Women's Training Network. She enjoys serving in her local church, exploring the world with her kids, watching movies with her husband, and reading.