There is such a temptation to snap-judge a stranger that I think it’s almost possible for anyone, in any walk of life to say they don’t give in occasionally. We see a strange, ugly, different, impaired, deformed, retarded or even simply a foreign person and so many thoughts pass through our minds. It’s inevitable that something off-colored or cruel will fly out of our mouths.

When I died my hair green for the duration of the Phoenix Fringe Festival,  I was amazed at the incessant public commentary. Everywhere I went people spoke or yelled jokes, insults, sarcastic slurs that “meant no harm.” By the end of the day if felt like I needed a shower to wash off the spit.

This is the third time I’ve gone with green. Mind you, I’ve been blue, purple, maroon, red, blonde, black, bald, mohawked and even pink without half as much abuse. My hair was green for a short miserable spell a few years back and in the 80s when I was appearing in a film about teen suicide. Not much has changed, sadly. Back then people were just as idiotic-no more and no less.

I would caution you, dear readers, against falling into the trap of, “Well if you’re gonna buck the norm, you have to expect consequences.” One day you will be old or infirm or out in public with someone who is different in some way and you won’t like the feeling of being different. It’s invasive, isolating and sometimes quite scary. And violence tends to come out of no where and a rate no one can stop.

We as the keeper’s of God’s Word and His mouthpieces on planet earth need to speak up against such thinking as it ultimately leads to bullying, crime and death. If it’s ok to single out one type of person for being different, who’s to stop me from going after a different group?

I get that we like what we like and we are most comfortable with our own but we need to get the mind of God who created all different types of people. He knows how they became who they are when we notice them and He has loved them before they were born and will continue to love them past eternity.

As believers it is our job to love not designate value and worth based on our biases and culture (prejudice).

I know it’s hard sometimes. It’s even scary when we see examples of life gone wrong. But all life has gone wrong as all have sinned. We need to look at humanity through the eyes of redemption, swallow our pride and find a way to show Christ’s love everywhere, every day and in every situation.

Now can I get an “Amen”?