Romans 3:29-30 :: Restrooms and Water Fountains

Romans 3:29-30 (The Message and TNIV)
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I realize that for some of us, it may seem like Paul is beating a dead horse with all this everyone-is-equal talk, and we may be thinking, "Enough already, we get this."  I admit that I lean that way just a little this morning.  The only thing that straightens me back up is putting myself in the shoes of the Gentiles.

For the most part, we do not live in a society where blatant, open and encouraged racism exists.  I live on a street where my kids play every day with kids that have Russian parents, Vietnamese parents, African-American parents, Latino parents, New York parents, Florida parents, etc.  No one is holding meetings trying to see how to get anyone to move.  Our schools are not segregated and neither are grocery stores, restaurants, restrooms and water fountains.  Understanding the hostility between the Jews and the Gentiles just doesn't carry the clarity for me that it probably should.

Sunday night, I watched the 60 Minutes report on the Islamic Community Center that is in the middle of controversy in New York.  I'm sure you have some sort of opinion about that, and I don't want that to be our discussion.  I want to propose that the closest thing to the tension between the Jews and Gentiles in Rome, may be more similar to the tension between American Christians and Muslims.  The sort of resentment that wells up when a man wearing a keffiyah walks into a room, or the anger that boils inside some people when they think about a building with a prayer mosque being erected in the same general neighborhood as Ground Zero, might get us close to the animosity felt between the two groups in Rome.

Paul is jumping right into the middle of the heated racial/spiritual battle of the day and calling all equal.  No one has preferential treatment.  No one has a corner on God.  No one person is better than anyone.  No one person is worse than any other.

Today, I challenge you to ask God tap you on your spiritual shoulder every time you have an attitude of self-righteousness pop up.  I've been sitting here in McDonald's since 6:50 and I've already been tapped 3 times.  It's sick and I hate it.  Father, move in our hearts so we see and love the way You do!