Langley Presbyterian Church

Prayer for Understanding

God of love, speak deep within us. Help us to listen attentively to what You are saying to the Church today and grant us the courage to follow Your will. Amen.

Guess who this person is.

He was a respected businessman and a prominent figure in his community. He even served as the director of Chicago's annual Polish Constitution Day Parade and was photographed with First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

He often performed as a clown at numerous local parties, political functions, charitable events, and children's hospitals.

Who was he? His name was John Wayne Gacy.

On the surface, Gacy seemed like a kind and good-natured person. However, he was later revealed to be one of the most notorious serial killers in U.S. history, responsible for the deaths of at least 33 young men. Gacy’s life is a chilling reminder that outward appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes, respectable or admirable people can hide dark and immoral behaviors.

But outward appearances can be misleading in the opposite direction too. Let me show you another set of examples.

Consider Jackie Robinson. In 1947 he broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier, becoming the first African American to play in MLB.

Or think of Oprah Winfrey. Born into poverty, she faced overwhelming racial and economic barriers but became one of the most influential media personalities in the world.

Then there’s Nick Vujicic, an Australian evangelist born without limbs. Despite his appearance, he has inspired millions as a motivational speaker and author.

These individuals faced discrimination because of their race, wealth, abilities, or gender, yet they overcame these obstacles. Their character, determination, and faith allowed them to persevere and make significant contributions to the world.

Although their stories are inspiring, they remind us of something critical: they shouldn’t have faced such judgments in the first place.

Have you ever faced favouritism or discrimination in your life? Most of us, at some point, have been treated differently because of our age, gender, religion, education, or appearance—whether it’s our height, weight, or even how attractive we are.

At the same time, we’ve all been guilty of showing favouritism, whether consciously or unconsciously.

But what is favouritism? It’s showing partiality or bias. To show favouritism means giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group over another based on superficial conditions.

The Bible is clear that favouritism is not God's will for us. James 2:1 says, "My brothers and sisters, do not claim the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory while showing partiality."

When Jesus died on the cross bearing our sins, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple was torn. This tearing symbolized that the way into God’s presence was open to all people—Jew and Gentile, men and women, young and old, healthy and sick, educated and uneducated.

Jesus broke down the dividing walls among us. So why do we try to rebuild them through partiality?

Ephesians 6:9 says, “There is no favouritism with him.” Romans 2:11, “For God shows no partiality”.

But how do we show favouritism? James gives a concrete example from the early church. This situation likely occurred either in the Jerusalem Church, where James was a leader or in other gatherings of believers. Imagine yourself in that setting.

It’s the Sabbath, and the church is gathering for worship. The room fills up as people take their seats. Just as the service is about to begin, two newcomers walk in.

One is dressed in expensive, shining clothes, wearing a gold ring. The other wears ragged, dirty clothes. As the rich man enters, everyone’s faces light up; people smile and respect him. The usher shows him to the best seat in the front.

When the poor man enters, people glance at him with discomfort; some even frown. The usher tells him to stand at the back or sit on the floor.

Now, imagine this happening here in our church today. Many of us would say, “I don’t discriminate or judge people.” However, favouitism and bias are natural human tendencies.

What if a young woman covered in tattoos, wearing earrings, nose rings, and a filthy jacket walked into church? How would you react? And what if, right behind her, came a well-dressed man in a smart suit? Would you be able to treat them the same way—with the same respect, smile, and warmth?

To whom would you speak after the service? With whom would you want to share a cup of coffee during fellowship? Would you even hope the young woman stays for coffee?

These types of discrimination are part of our sinful nature. When we meet someone, we often make snap judgments based on outward appearances, categorizing them before we even know their heart. And all too often, based on those judgments, we favour one over the other.

When I studied at Knox College in Toronto, one of our denominational seminaries, I encountered a troubling situation that I’ll never forget. There was a staff member—not a professor—who consistently discriminated against minority students, particularly Korean students.

Her behavior was not just indifferent; it was overtly hostile. She would be rude and dismissive, often yelling at us and speaking down to those who struggled with English. If someone couldn’t understand her English right away, she would shake her head in disgust, making them feel small and inadequate.

Eventually, a few of us couldn’t take it any longer. We decided to collect our individual stories of what had happened. Together, we compiled these incidents and brought them to the attention of the principal and some board members. A couple of weeks later, she was fired.

We were relieved but also stunned. This was happening at a seminary—a place where love, grace, and respect should reign. Yet, there we were, facing clear discrimination in a place meant to train future ministers. Sadly, this wasn’t a one-time event.

There have been many instances of unfair treatment in the church, seminary, and denomination. Often, those who are powerless feel they have no choice but to stay silent and endure mistreatment because they can’t fight back.

This reality—of prejudice, discrimination, favouritism, and bias—runs deep in our society. People are judged and treated differently based on appearance, speech, or behavior.

This was true in James’ time, and sadly, it’s still true today—even within the church. We see it in seminaries, Presbyteries, and denominations, with favouritism based on wealth, race, academic standing, politics, gender, or theology. James calls this behavior what it is: SIN.

As the convenor of the Student Support and Certification Committee in the Presbytery of Westminster, I’m (the Cte is) responsible for supporting ministerial candidates—seminary students—until their ordination. I care for all of them deeply, but I’ll admit, I have a favourite.

He was a medical intern in his home country before deciding to become a pastor and moving to Canada for his studies. He’s a humble and faithful man of God, but he always wears sweatpants and flip-flops.

Recently, I advised him to wear something more formal for the upcoming Presbytery meeting since he plans to send his profile to churches. His response was sincere: “Oh, I didn’t realize it. I just wanted to show that what we wear isn’t as important in the church.”

His intention was admirable. But I told him, “That’s a great mindset, but you’ll soon have an interview with some of the people you meet at the Presbytery meeting, so it’s still important to present yourself well.”

Afterward, I questioned whether I had made the right decision to advise him. My intention was to protect him from potential discrimination or judgment, but I wondered: Would Jesus have given the same advice?

Our Lord Jesus is with us now. In His holy and glorious presence, none of the things we often use to define ourselves—wealth, intelligence, appearance, gender, age, health, or language—make any of us better than anyone else. These things don’t matter to Him.

What matters to Jesus is our love for Him and how our faith is expressed through our actions and words toward others.

Our merciful God welcomes all of us just as we are—regardless of skin color, clothing, knowledge, or even the weight of our sins.

No matter our background, our faith in Christ brings us all into the family of God as brothers and sisters. And because we are all created in His image, we should treat each other with dignity and respect.

I pray that our church becomes a safe place of worship for everyone.

I pray that no one feels rejected or favoured because of who they are, what they wear, or what they have or don’t have.

May our church truly become a family of God where no barriers remain—where rich and poor sit side by side, where black, brown, yellow, and white stand together in unity.

Let the young and old,  sick and healthy, and the abled and disabled, worship without distinction. May we welcome all, whether clothed in fine garments or rags; whether well-fed or hungry, man or woman, liberal or conservative, Presbyterian or Pentecostal, longtime member or first-time visitor.

Friends, remember we are called to treat everyone with love and respect - as we wish to be treated. Let there be no further partiality, rejection -- no more hurt -- whether in our church, workplaces,  communities, or society. It starts with each of us.

Let us pray.

Gracious God, search our hearts and reveal to us the ways we’ve treated others unfairly. Forgive us for the favouritism, bias, and discrimination we’ve shown. Help us to break down the barriers of systemic injustice and to treat everyone around us with fairness, respect, and kindness. Help us to see Your image in others. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.