Isaiah 11:3-4 - Trout Stereotyping

Someone once tried to teach me to fly fish while standing in a trout stream. That day, I broke in some brand-new waders I bought for the occasion but don't remember even seeing a trout.

Recently, a friend invited me to try trout fishing again. This time I used just a Zebco push button reel and worms. After several hours, I finally caught a trout. What a surprise: it had no scales! I thought it was common knowledge that--by definition of the word "fish"--all fish have scales. Apparently, no one informed the trout (or me) that some fish don't have scales.

Stereotyping is like that. We have incomplete knowledge of something and then make generalizations or conclusions that are inaccurate at best and harmful at worst. It could be about fish, or tax laws, or kids' toys, or fast food restaurants... or individual people. The best we can do is be ready and anxious to learn the truth, correct mistaken assumptions, and apologize if necessary.

The only one who doesn't jump to erroneous conclusions is God Himself, of course. Isaiah prophesied this about God the Son:

"...He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth..." (from Isaiah 11:3-4, New American Standard Bible, 1995)

All-knowing God, We can't seem to escape making wrong assumptions. Give us a hunger to know and accept the truth, and humility to make things right when we make a mess of things out of ignorance. In Jesus' name, Amen.