No Prejudice

“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.” – James 2:1

On March 12, 2020, Rose Wakefield stopped for gas at Jacksons Food Store in Beaverton, Oregon when Nigel Powers, the attendant on duty at the time, was pumping gas for other drivers but refused to offer her service.
When she asked for assistance, Powers told her, “I don’t serve Black people.”
“I went to a gas station to get gas and service, and I wasn’t served,” Wakefield said about her experience. “I was actually humiliated and disrespected.”

In late-January, 2023, a jury agreed in her favor. After successfully suing the corporations involved, Wakefield was awarded one million dollars in damages.
The damages were so high because the behavior Wakefield encountered was so egregious. This was not only from the gas station attendant, but also from the representatives at the corporate complaint line who failed to take her report seriously.

During closing arguments, Wakefield’s attorney Greg Kafoury convinced the jury that a large judgment would force the corporate defendants to explain their failure to respond appropriately. This included failing to record Wakefield’s initial phone call (and subsequently deleting a follow up voicemail), and doctoring the employee personnel file to make it appear as though he was fired for different, unrelated conduct.
Her attorney added, “A cop who erased evidence would go to jail for it.”

In all that we do, we should not show favoritism.

Confess any sin of prejudice and seek to love others as the Lord loves you.

“It is never too late to give up your prejudices.” – Henry David Thoreau

“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” – Leviticus 19:15