FAVORITISM IS A SIN>
[ A Warning against Prejudice ] My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? James 2:1
So what is the difference between earning the favor of your boss and your boss showing favoritism? Favor is friendly approval, kind regard, and goodwill. Favoritism is the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another. We should seek the favor of our boss but not favoritism. The key here is goodwill: friendly, helpful, or cooperative feelings or attitude, a willing effort, cheerful consent, approval and support. (Goodwill is also easier to build out of a good reputation.)
Loyalty is a strong value in group centered cultures like in Hawaii. Part of that loyalty is locals giving preference to other locals. Favoritism can be found in the workplace too. There can be a pyramid-like structure or hierarchy of favor with those who are in favor receiving the best shifts, shorter shifts, best locations, less work, and getting to leave work early or take time off, and getting the inside information. (The same thing can even happen in the church with the flow of information and access to the pastor.)
It’s kind of ironic because God showed me this ‘pyramid’ concept at work when I was watching TOY Story 3 at the movie theatre with the kids from the youth center. In the movie, THE NEW TOYS GET PUT IN THE TODDLER AREA OF THE CHILD DAYCARE BECAUSE THE TODDLERS ABUSE THE TOYS THE WORST> Its the same in the youth center, the new people and the people out of favor get put in the shifts, areas, and assignments which are the most stressful. The solution they found in the toy story movie was to get rid of the pyramid of favoritism and work as a team where everyone shared the load.
This solution resonates with my old inequality philosophy, but God showed me scriptures on favoritism because favoritism is a sin. According to the world favoritism is also wrong and that’s why there are rules against it in the workplace. But we all know that what is practiced and what is preached is often very different.
Of course I’m just as guilty as the next guy. My classroom can be a microcosm of it all. When I’m at work with my kids I might let them stay on the swings or in the computer lab a little longer than the other kids or I might show favor to kids who behave better. And how is that any different than the local culture of loyalty? Its not. Aren’t the tests and trials God puts in my life to show me something in myself too? I have to be faithful in the small things, when no one is watching, and God will give me and trust me with bigger things. Finally, Jame’s point with the above scripture is that we are love each other especially with grace and mercy.
