Spiritual Profiling


We now know that profiling among police is not a good thing.  Yet, if you talk to one who is "on the job" you will find that it is a normal practice.  It comes from experience in knowing what to look for resulting in getting criminals off the street.  Of course the down side is that the police can be wrong.  As good as our criminal justice system is these days a small percentage of people are convicted who are innocent. We don't like it but yet it is a part of package.  


Now to the Church.  Profiling is pretty standard among us as well.  Oh, we like to say that we don't judge and we treat everyone the same.  Really!? Probably not.  We all have those dark areas within us caused usually be upbringing or an incident of some sort from the past. A few weeks back I was in a questionable area and got on an elevator and just before the door closed an arm was thrust between the doors. A young, large black man came in.  He had a ball cap side ways, his pants were hanging exposing his underwear.  You know the scene.  We only rode one floor together but it was a long enough ride to reveal my heart. Something within me was uneasy.  When I left I was disappointed with my feelings and spent some time evaluating my reaction.  Was I sensing some spiritual discernment? Maybe.  Was I profiling the young man based on stereotype ? Probably!


A few weeks later I was in a large box store and as I was waiting in the checkout line I saw a young family.  The father looked like he could be a gang member.  He had tats and piercing.  The mother was similar and I couldn't see the little boy at first.  Then he appeared from behind his mother.  He was beautiful and well dressed.  As children can do he walked  over and put his hand in my cart.  His dad took him gently by the arm, pulled him aside and I heard him say, "be more respectful".  A few days later I was walking on a pier on the bay.  Again, I see this rather questionable (to me) looking man fishing.  Next to him was a little boy fishing.  He was teaching his little boy to fish.  Both of these fathers showed respect, love, patience and admiration for their sons. They both seemed to be interested in teaching and training their sons.  My overwhelming thoughts ran from, "boy was I wrong" to "these guys could teach a class on fathering in most churches!"
This past year I have also observed other fathers who looked the part to what I think a dad should look like and some were Christians.  Yet, their interaction with their children was not the same.  What I saw revealed lives dominated by cell phones and laptops.  Their conversations with their children was not focused and mostly revealed aggravation they had been interrupted.  


Profiling is a dangerous thing.  Proverbs tells us that man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.