I was teaching a middle/high school class on a recent Sunday. We looked at the first part of James 2 and talked about the “sin of partiality.” I know that doesn’t seem like much of a sin, but in the early church it was a big deal.
In the adult world, partiality is huge. We place a lot of value on appearance, achievement, belief systems, political parties, wealth, race, and sexual orientation.
The students all said none of that really mattered to them. They’ve grown up in a much different world. I told them they are better adjusted than most of the grown-ups I know.
Finally, I said, “What about furries?” Everyone reacted with comments like, “No way,” “I’m not getting near them,” “Forget it.”
It took a while, but I hit a nerve, at least with this group. A furry is someone who dresses up and acts like an animal at home and in school. I never went to school with someone who had a tail coming out the back of their pants, paw-like mittens, and animal nose and ears. No one ever dressed like the cast of Cats. But you’ll find them in the schools, and they aren’t popular outside of their own private circle. It’s not just a costume, but part of their daily wardrobe.
It’s not that students are more tolerant. They just look down on different people for different reasons. We all do it. We all fall short in that area. We all have a lot to learn about other people.
Waite for it... 