on prejudice…
“The LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7, NRSV).
Green hair can convict a man of many things… About 27 years ago, when my oldest daughter entered her first year in middle school, I found myself driving the morning student carpool. That’s how I met Danny – he was my first stop. Danny was a normal 6th-grade boy in every way for his time, except this— he had perfectly groomed, luminescent green hair. As we approached the house, my daughter shrieked, “O my gosh, look at his hair!” I did not want to appear riled (or “uncool”), so I nonchalantly and sanctimoniously responded, “Let’s remember that God judges everyone by who they are on the inside, not by appearance or accomplishment.” “But Dad, green hair?!” she quickly implored. Again, I tried to maintain my composure, “Well, I’ll admit green hair is a little harder for us to see through than brown, red, blonde, or black, but let’s give him a break.” She simply sighed, “Green hair…”
After I dropped the kids off, I found myself considering whether I wanted my daughter to have a friendship with a boy who chose to color his hair green. I quickly realized that this was not the issue. The real issue was whether I wanted to have a relationship with a boy who had green hair. At that point, I sensed the Holy Spirit challenging me, “Mark, how can you expect me to love people through you when you are prejudiced about something as trivial as green hair?”
Jesus used green hair to teach me that prejudice subtly masquerades itself within me. Sometimes, it manifests itself as indifference (“I don’t care what color hair he has.”); at other times, it pridefully appears as tolerance (“If he wants to have green hair, that is his decision.”); and it may even appeal to Scripture for even-tempered wisdom! However, common to all is irrational suspicion, unfounded predetermination, and an unwillingness to relate with and care for a person or people. Can there be any sentiment further from the heart of God?
The apostle Paul writes:
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view… God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses [or green hair] against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. (2 Corinthians 5:16, 18-20)
The sin of prejudice is incompatible with God’s call and ministry of reconciliation. Paul understood this and overcame his culturally condoned racism for Gentiles. When God loves, He does not care about skin color, ethnicity, gender, lifestyle choices, fashion, age, political perspectives, social status, vocation, academic degrees, worldview— or green hair! Therefore, I resolved on that day, neither will I… and I have been trying hard ever since!
