Impartial [im-pahr-shuh]: adj – not partial or biased; fair; just.
To a Christian, impartiality is more than just a dictionary definition, it should be a way of life. James 2:8 says, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” This verse is a reminder as well as a command to Christians that a true believer will not show partiality nor will they judge others.
Steve Saint yet again showed the characteristics of a true believer as he did not show partiality to the Waodani for killing his father. Steve had many reasons to hate the Waodani. For starters, they killed his father when he was only 5 years old. Secondly, they killed his father’s friends when he was only five years old. This list goes on and on, but that is not the point. The point is, no matter what horrible things the Waodani did to Steve, Steve forgave them.
At the age of 10, Steve went back to the Waodani every summer and became great friends with many of them. Later on in life, Steve was baptised by Kimo and Dyuwi, two Waodani that were involved with his father’s death. Steve never held a grudge against the Waodani for taking away his father. Steve never hated nor judged the Waodani for what they did prior to their conversion to Christianity.
Steve was also rewarded greatly for his unwillingness to show favourtism. Mincaye, another Waodani who was involved with killing his father, was converted shortly after 2 of the murdered missionaries’ wives, Rachel Saint, and Elizabeth Elliot, went back to the Waodani to continue their mission to bring Christianity to the tribe. Mincaye is now a preacher to the Waodani, and one of Steve’s greatest friends. He is know as “Grandfather Mincaye” to Steve’s family because he is now like a Grandfather to them.
What about you? Imagine your father was murdered brutally and you knew who the killers were. Would you forgive them? Would you hate them forever for what they did? Would you be like Steve, who forgave and let go of the past? Or would you judge them and treat them differently?
Steve showed his genuine faith in God when he accepted the Waodani for who they became and not who they once were. He was impartial and refused to judge them based on their past.
“Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference which is an elegant name for ignorance,” – G.K. Chesterton.
L & B
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