A friend once told me about a church he visited in another country. He had spoken from the platform, and at the end of the service one of the church members came to greet him and shook his hand. When this person discovered his ethnic background, he pulled his hand away in disgust and told my friend that he was not welcome in the church. This was one of the hardest moments my friend has ever faced. He felt rejected and insulted in a way that cannot be described.
Have you ever felt rejected or unwanted, not based on your morals or opinions, but just because of your nationality, background, or social status? It is truly one of the most difficult situations anyone could possibly face.
In our churches, how many times have we honored the rich over the poor, favored one nationality or race above another, given respect to people with academic degrees but withheld it from someone with less education? Church history is unfortunately filled with acts that were against God's character; favoritism is one of the most shameful.
No one is more important than anyone else in God's eyes, and we are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. There is no place for favoritism in the church. There everyone should be treated and feel equal in value and importance, no one should be treated with contempt.
We all need each other. "If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness. All of you are Christ's body, and each one is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:26-27)
May God help us never to show favoritism in our churches. The one who seems to us to be the weakest might be the strongest in God's eyes. God does not prefer one person over another, and neither should we.