Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more."

Prejudice is the topic of the movie "Remember The Titans." During this session, Coach Herman Boone takes his football team who are deep into prejudice on an early morning run. He leads them to the field where the Civil War battle of Gettysburg was fought, and in his speech tells his charges: "Take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed just like they were. I don't care if you like each other or not; but you will respect each other." His speech was the beginning of his team's conversion. Prejudice and true respect cannot exist side by side.

Prejudice comes in many forms, that is, it is seen in many different instances. In the Gospels, the ones who were "holy" or "righteous," the scribes and Pharisees, showed a strong prejudice against sinners. Such was the case one time when Jesus was in Jerusalem. Intending to embarrass Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees made use of a sinful woman to bring out a point that they were making. Taking them to task in the simplest of ways, Jesus showed respect for the sinner, and taught a valuable lesson concerning prejudice. His lesson: the way to overcome any prejudice is to learn to respect the people involved.

Prejudice continues to be part of our world. It is present in the workplace, at school, and even at Church. Perhaps the only way to counteract it is to learn to respect the people who are involved. If we do, if we overcome our feelings of what we think, we will begin to understand their environment and their problems from their point of view.

Abraham Lincoln said in the address that dedicated the Gettysburg cemetery, "It is for us the living, to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead, we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave [their lives]." That cause was nothing less than eradicating prejudice. It is still our task.

THOUGHT
 
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we are people who often do not have the respect for others that we should have. Your Son teaches us about respect, but many times we do not learn. Help us understand the true importance of everyone we meet. Be with us, we pray. 

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America