What would you say if someone approached and asked you if you are narrow-minded? Most of us would instinctively and impulsively respond, “Absolutely not.” But, perhaps we should re-consider our answer.
The phrase “narrow-minded” often conjures up all kinds of negative feelings and undesirable nouns to go with it: Bigot, Homophobe, Misogynist, Islamophobe, and Racist just to name a few. We have been conditioned to believe that the more open our mind is, the better person we are. What is surprising, is that God disagrees.
In 1970 the teenage son of a Pastor from California emerged triumphantly from the basement of The Pentecostal Tabernacle church. His family was scheduled to sing there that evening and realized they needed more material. Ronnie had excused himself for several minutes and returned carrying a trail of toilet tissue. On that unceremonious paper, were the lyrics to a brand-new song titled, “The Lighthouse.” After a little refinement in collaboration with his brother Kenny, the song was first recorded by The Happy Goodman’s and later by Elvis Presley.
What was the woman thinking as the Jewish man moved closer to her? She knew that Jews considered her kind untouchable merely for their ancestry. Her personal secret life took her discomfort and shame to an even greater level. As he opened his mouth to speak, she was most certainly expecting some kind of put-down or curse. Instead, he asked her for a drink of water.
What was the woman’s attitude? Was she merely surprised by the unprecedented request, or was she belligerent at the audacity of a man – from a group of people known for always looking down on her race – asking her to serve him?