Prejudice: Loving others affected by it

Leviticus 34:34  But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

It was not easy being a housecat in Kinshasa.  With so many lions, panthers and cheetahs about, the much smaller cats were often the victims of violent crime.  As he was walking home one day, Adam was surrounded by a gang of vicious cheetahs.  Just when he was about to be mauled, a lion jumped in and fought off the lot.  'Thank you." said Adam.  "But why did you risk your life to save me, a housecat?"
The lion held up a paw.  It was badly mutated and looked more like a monkey's hand than a paw.  "I know what it's like to be different." said the lion.

It's easy, when one has been the victim of cruelty, to become hardened and bitter, shutting off compassion to the world.  This is, of couse, the wrong response.  If we have suffered from cruelty or bigotry, we should become all the more compassionate because we know how terrible it can be.  It ought to create in us a sympathy for the unjustly hated and opressed.  If we see someone suffering as the victim of hate and do nothing to help him, we become hypocrites of the worst kind.

So when you see someone fall victim to bigotry, offer him your love and understanding.  In this way, you'll be the very picture of Jesus to him.