Dealing with bigotry

Truly he taught us to love one another
His law is love and the gospel is peace
Chains shall he break
For the slave is our brother
And in his name all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise his holy name

Christ is the Lord
Then ever ever praise we
Noel Noel, O night o night divine
Noel Noel, O holy night

(Lyrics from O Holy Night)

For GOD says:

“To the mutilated who keep my Sabbaths and choose what delights me and keep a firm grip on my covenant,
I’ll provide them an honoured place in my family and within my city, even more honoured than that of sons and daughters.
I’ll confer permanent honours on them that will never be revoked.

“And as for the outsiders who now follow me, working for me, loving my name, and wanting to be my servants –
All who keep Sabbath and don’t defile it, holding fast to my covenant – I’ll bring them to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.
They’ll be welcome to worship the same as the ‘insiders,’ to bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to my altar. Oh yes, my house of worship will be known as a house of prayer for all people.” Isaiah 56:4-7 The Message.

In other versions of the Bible, the mutilated is also referred to as the eunuch, which is broadly defined as a castrated man employed as a harem attendant or as a functionary in certain Asian courts. A man or boy whose testes are nonfunctioning or have been removed, or an ineffectual, powerless, or unmasculine man. Outsiders refer to non-Jews. The first group of people faced an irreversible status. The second group faced an impossible situation. The former is incomplete while the latter is excluded. Then God showed up to set things right; received the outcasts; called them His own.

I had written these words before the bigot in me was exposed. I went on a stupid, baseless and judgmental rant on someone I don’t even know.
What was I thinking of? The truth is I wasn’t even thinking. I still don’t quite know what came over me. I guess sometimes we get carried away with our emotions, fears, pride, prejudices, insecurities and possessiveness. All these expose the bigot in us. A bigot is someone who is strongly partial to one’s own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ. Hence bigotry is the attitude, state of mind, or behaviour characteristic of a bigot; intolerance.

You can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. You can’t whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day’s coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town. Luke 12:2 – 3 The Message.

“He who will not reason is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave.” – Sir William Drummond. {My apologies, Fin.}

Sv