Have you ever seen those pictures of the so called "beautiful people" sans makeup? It is quite an eye opener isn't it? They look just like everyone else. Without a mask or altered body parts, many of them are not at all that impressive to look at. Women, I think are more vulnerable to this overt prejudice than men. (This is not to say that men are without their vanity. Check out any weight room in the local health club. Those mirrors are there for a reason.) Women fret over their hair, their weight, their skin, and their figures. In our culture, beauty, wealth, and power seem to define one's identity. The "beautiful people" and the wealthy are treated differently than the homely or the simple. Many behavioral studies have been conducted proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is true.

This is one of the reasons James addresses prejudice in the church when he says...

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. (James 2:1-10)

We are all guilty of cryptic prejudice. Men, do you treat a homely woman the same way you do a stunningly beautiful woman? Women, are you more prone to pay greater attention to a man with "six pack abs" than one whose chest has fallen below his belly button? Do we treat the rich or the powerful with a greater respect than the poor and the helpless? Are we more likely to return a call (or even answer the phone) when we know someone who is physically or socially more appealing is on the other end?

I recently came across a video that illustrates this in a profound way. Please take the time to watch it. It is quite revealing. At center stage is one of those not so pretty, or should I say, homely women, the laughing stock of the audience. She is by most entertainment standards an old woman (47) in a young woman's ballgame. As you watch, ask yourself if that audience is representative of how you view people. It might be quite convicting.

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