Overcoming Stereotypes

I love watching movies! Sometimes I am so busy that I don't get to go to the movies as often as I would like. Last week, I saw this movie , "I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry". It has to be one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while. Although its very funny, there are some things that stood out that I felt strong enough about that I should write about them.

Stereotyping is a major issue and one that all at some time or another have been victim of. Wether we say it or not, some of us still have certain stereotypes about certain people. We were in Mississppi on a mission trip and there were five black guys there. One girl who was white asked if the guys could rap? At first I was really upset that out of all the things to ask we kept landing on, "do you rap?". However, I realized that its not all her fault.

Sterotypes are not just a white against black thing... Lets examine some common stereotpes a bit closer:

* All white people are card carrying klansman.
* All white people can't dance.
* All black men can rap.
* All black men have been to prision once in their lives.
* All asians own a nail salon.
* All middle easterns are terrorist.
* All gay men are very feminate and they want every guy they see.
* All gay women are very mean and angry.
* All hispanics work on lawns and are illegal.
* All jews are lawyers and ruthless buisness men.
* All presbyterian churches are dead.
* All christians are hypocrites.
* All pastors steal money.
* All cops are crooked.
* All politicians are corrupt.

Look at these stereotypes and think about the people who are mistreated daily because of stereotypes. Think about all the great people who will never be recogonized as great because of stereotypes. Stereotpyes are looking at the actions of a few and making a judgement on all. This is simply wrong, but real.

When people are not exposed to other cultures or only view things through certain filters it can create a person who develops stereotypes. I mentioned earlier about the girl who asked if we could rap. She like many other people see a few people from a certain group and judge the rest based on what she was exposed to. When these stereotypes occur, it presents a opportunity to learn and to teach.

Jesus is at this well and a woman who was Samaritan came to where he was sitting to get water. Jesus asked her to get him some as well. Immediatley she was shocked because he spoke to her, and in that time Jews and Samaritans had negative views of one another. She says to him " how do you (a jew) ask me (a samartian) for a drink". Jesus sees this moment as a moment to educate. He showed her a different side ...one in which she was never been exposed to before. When we take the time to listen and to talk with one another we can really begin the process of eliminating stereotypes and all the baggage stereotypes bring.

If the woman would have left at that moment when he spoke to her she would have missed the greatest moment of her life. If she would have let her stereotypes control her we who read the story later would miss out on a message for us. Jesus begins to tell her about herself and tells her about the love he has for her and how he is the space to fill the void in her life. Jesus reveals then, his salvation is for all.

The people who follow Jesus are supposed to share that message of slavation for all, but our stereotypes of some classes of people, or some races of people, hinders that message from being clear.Great people come in different packages they might not look like us, or vote like us, or even believe like us. However, Christ died for them and again when we start talking and learning we will discover things about one another that might change our lives.