There once was an organization that had many employees who drove to and from work each day. As they arrived at the building where they worked there were strict rules governing where they were to park. The important people (we will call them superior) had assigned parking spaces under shaded porticoes. The less important people (we will call them inferior) grabbed on a first-come basis whatever spot was left in the broiling sun. The superiors made it extraordinarily clear that the inferiors would be penalized if they failed to know and keep their place in the scheme of things. This is called discrimination.
My dear friend, Gladys, often told me as her pastor that while we are admonished not to judge, that doesn’t mean we should not discern. As I’ve pondered her words, I like to think that I’ve come to a little clearer understanding of what she meant. Discernment, or distinguishing, is an innate human trait of identifying the differences that exist among all things. Discrimination, or judgment, however, places that seemingly innocuous value judgment which makes the difference good or bad.
My own little addendum to Paul’s essay on love (I Corinthians 13) is this: love does not discriminate. The people who will have the hardest time understanding this are those who deem themselves superior.
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