Avoding Favoritism

James Chapter 2:9

But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted of the law as lawbreakers

The book of James is one of my favorites, along with Proverbs, Psalms, and even Ecclesiastes. I've been reading in James Chapter 2, which begins with an example where we are not to discriminate by giving places of honor to the rich while despising the poor.

Because I have the privilege of painting with some of the stars in the artist industry, I have battled with this issue - not so much when talking about rich/poor, but famous/unknown.

It was almost a decade ago that I was at the Portrait Society of America conference... I walked up to one of famous speakers to ask him a question. He looked at me, and while I was in the middle of a sentence - he did an about face and walked briskly away. I felt like such a fool, and I was angry.

Years later, this same fellow was invited to paint with the Putney Painters (we paint with Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik). Now,in the company of well knowns, this same guy treated me with undue respect. How is it that years before, he regarded me as a nobody to be shunned, and while I was in the presence of Richard, I was suddenly deserving of respect? I'm the same person. Nothing has changed except his attitude.

While I was insulted, I too have done the same thing to lessor known artists. I doubt if I walked away in the middle of their sentence, but I confess that I've had a sinful attitude when hobbnobbing with the great artists of our time. The Lord is using the book of James to show me that I am not better than other artists because of whom I know, and I need to treat them with respect... not just pay respect to the famous ones, or the ones in the in-crowd, but to all I come into contact with. I may not be able to spend a lot of time with any one person, but I will not turn my head and walk away while giving adoration to famous artists. Infact, I have to be careful as a Christian to realize that the most famous person I know is Jesus Christ... although he's not often popular.

I do respect the artists who have accomplished much and paint beautifully, but they are just people who happen to be experts at what they do... not gods or idols. There are many artists who are not well known or perhaps just beginners who are more loved by God.