It has come to my attention that someone has recently acted in a prejudicial way. They said or did something that showed prejudice toward one or more minorities.

I found these actions deplorable. However, as a Christian, I am confused about how I am to respond.

I promise in my baptismal covenant to seek Christ in all persons, make justice, and respect the dignity of every human being. This individual certainly violated those demands.

At the same time, I worry that my response to this injustice does not allow me to respect this stranger.

I also worry that my respect for this individual’s dignity and my search for Christ in him (and it always seems to be a him) does not respect those hurt by his prejudice. And worse, his defenders will condone his behavior by overlooking what was prejudicial in the first place.

Prejudice isn’t simply the content of a person’s heart. A person is not simply a racist or a homophobe, but a complex organism of conflicting beliefs. And prejudice is not properly defined as some words spoken by a person prone to such words. It is prejudicial action and support for prejudicial systems.

It is a white man supporting a belief that blacks like being oppressed.

It is a wealthy man saying that poor people must deserve their poverty.

It is a man deciding for a woman how to treat her own body.

It is a straight man defining what emotions and mores make a person a human being.

Because the problem we’re talking about isn’t really about free speech or whether or not the individual is a good person or reflecting his genuine religious beliefs (though these are no doubt elements in the conversation), the problem is about the system. The system that reflects the power of the majority at the expense of the minority. The system that likes to categorize real, talented, amazing people as something other.

Subhumans, abominations, criminals, evil, weak, lesser than “us”.

Rachel Held Evans writes:

Though it affects more of us than we tend to realize, statistically, homosexuality affects far fewer of us than gluttony, materialism, or divorce. And as Jesus pointed out so often in his ministry, we like to focus on the biblical violations (real or perceived) of the minority rather than our own.

In short, we like to gang up. We like to fashion weapons out of the verses that affect us the least and then “clobber” the minority with them. Or better yet, conjure up some saccharine language about speaking the truth in love before breaking out our spec-removing tweezers to help get our minds off of these uncomfortable logs in our own eyes.

It isn’t what’s in the heart of the individual, but how the majority oppresses the minority. It is what we, most of whom come from a place of privilege and power, do to condemn the weak and powerless. Just because you don’t feel powerful doesn’t mean you are without power. You have at least enough to condemn someone else. And if you have a microphone in front of your mouth, you have way more power. Because, as Rachel writes “it’s a numbers game”.

If you still need help determining what makes a racist, see how you fit on the chart below:

As we cool our jets from the latest controversy, we will find that little has changed. The signs of systemic prejudice remain unchanged.

Hopefully this time will be different. Hopefully this time the Christians in the conversation will be the ones rejecting the prejudice, rather than being among the ones provoking it.

And while we’re hoping, let’s add one more hope: that conversations like this one reflect the kingdom we pray for, rather than the prejudicial power we crave.