“And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed” (Numbers 12:9)
Last Christmas, my manger scene took center stage on top of my piano.  Joseph is about 10 inches tall and carries a lamp and staff.  The baby rests in a manger of hay, while a lamb and a donkey lie nearby.  Everyone is overshadowed by a watching angel.  Mary kneels, hands crossed over her heart, gazing on her baby.  But what always stands out to me is that the Mary depicted in this scene is blonde.
You do not have to look long in our world to see that mankind in his natural, sinful state is prejudiced.  We see the world from one viewpoint (ours), which of course must be the best.  Now, perhaps the artist who created my manger scene set was simply uninformed, since it isn’t likely that a Jewish girl was blonde-haired and blue-eyed, but it still illustrates my point.
It’s even worse to find prejudice among God’s people.  I have to wonder how long Miriam and Aaron had allowed their racism against Moses’ Cushite wife to fester until finally it displayed itself in an ugly show of disrespect.
But the same God who created an unfathomable amount of variety in plants and animals in our world, also loves the variety and diversity of humanity.  He heard Miriam and Aaron’s complaints spoken out of prejudice against one of his own and judged them. (Ashlee Englund)
Where can prejudice be found in your life?
This devotional is the Tuesday, July 12, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.