By Lamont H. Fuchs, Ed.D. (https://preacherspurs.com)
Scripture references: Matthew 8:2-3, Matthew15:30-3, Matthew 25:44-45, Mark 2:16, Matthew 28:19
Bias is natural and becomes part of our thought process without our consent or realizing it even occurs. That is why bias is so difficult to overcome, even when we are made aware that we have a critical bias. Racism is like that, but there are many others we need to consider as well. Controlling our bias-based thought requires prayer and practice to overcome the effects on our thought processes. It is a daily battle for some; for others, they don’t seem to care or realize the impact on others.
Let us consider how our bias can keep us from being like Christ, which impedes our ability to spread His word or do His work. The blessings we miss are beyond our ability to understand.
“And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:27-29
Following this verse is one of the most famous parables of Jesus. The story is of the Good Samaritan, verses 30-37. Then, in the days of Jesus, bias was prominent, but no more than today. The story continues to have such an impact coming from today’s pulpit because it strikes at the very root of our bias. Consider who your neighbor is.
This is a story of classic miscommunication. You see, all our lives, we have seen dogs chasing cats. And we assumed that there was an inbred hate or a natural predator/prey relationship between the two animals.
For some of us who have had both a cat and a dog or more than one of each, we know they can become friends. They can lie down, lick each other’s faces, and even share their food.
As told to me by a wise old Saudi man, the chase between a cat and a dog is all about miscommunication. It is the very crux of what bias and miscommunication are all about.
When a cat sees another animal, it begins with fear and defense, raising its back and tail in the air to make it look bigger or fiercer. But, in fact, it is afraid.
When a dog sees another animal, it also begins in fear and raises the hair on its back, but instead of raising its tail, it tucks its tail in a protective mode. When a dog sees a cat, though, all these natural tendencies of the dog and cat are miscommunicated. After all, they can’t discuss it; they work entirely off visual indicators.
If the opposing animal is not aggressive, the dog innately becomes curious and begins to engage and befriend the cat in play. When a dog wants to play, it raises its tail, and when another animal runs, the dog gives chase; that’s fun to a dog. So, when a dog sees a cat raise its tail, he thinks she wants to play and becomes aggressive. The cat, already in fear, sees a dog become aggressive and takes flight to flee from the aggressor. The game is on.
When the cat is cornered or is caught, flight becomes a fight, and the cat goes into self-defense and counterattack. When the dog gets a paw full of claws in the nose, it is immediately confused by how quickly the play turns into a fight.
