NOVEMBER 23, John 3:16; Acts 10:34-35

Caleb and his friend, Alex, were studying the displays at a sports store. “There sure are lots of different kinds of balls, aren’t there?” he remarked.

“Yeah, and I like them all,” said Alex with a grin.

An elderly couple stopped to look too. Their clothes looked strange to the boys, and neither Caleb nor Alex could understand the language they spoke. Caleb frowned. “Let’s get going,” he said. The boys strolled off, and when they were out of hearing distance, Caleb added, “I don’t like foreigners. You can’t understand their language, and they dress funny. I think when foreigners come here they should try to be more like us.”

“That’s not fair,” said Alex. “They’re probably here for just a short visit. If you were to go to Africa for a visit, would you start dressing the way they do over there? And would you quit talking until you learned their language?”

Caleb ignored Alex’s questions. “Look!” he exclaimed. “A store for stamp collectors! My dad collects postage stamps.”

The boys peered through the window at the display of stamps. Alex noticed the prices, and his eyes widened. “Why do some of those stamps cost so much?” he asked. “They’re nothing but little pieces of paper.”

Caleb laughed. “Some stamps are expensive because there weren’t many of them printed,” he explained. “That makes them valuable. And some of the most expensive ones are those that were misprinted. They’re valuable because they’re different from other stamps.”

Just then, the foreign-speaking couple walked by. “Hey,” said Alex, “if it’s so great for stamps to be different, why do people have to all be the same? Maybe being different makes them interesting, too.” Caleb frowned. “We like variety in all kinds of things,” continued Alex. “Things like flowers and birds and balls and… and stamps, so why wouldn’t we want variety in people, too? Besides, remember our Sunday school lesson last week? It was all about how God loves the world and desires for all men, regardless of the race or ethnicity, to be saved. They’re all important to Him.”

Thought: Should we judge people by the country they’re from or the accent they speak with?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me not to be prejudiced against anybody regardless of the country or race they come from, as well as their social status. Help me instead to witness to them if they are unsaved. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.