Diversity

In church Sunday our pastor was talking about being diverse and accepting others- not prejudging. He made a comment that really hit me where it hurts!
He said, "Everyone has been prejudice at one time about something." I was sitting there thinking, "No. No. I don't believe have been prejudice. I love culture, understanding various religions, differences in people..."
He also asked us how we would feel if our child brought home a boyfriend or girlfriend of a different race. Again, I thought, "I would really be fine with that!"
Then it hit me...this feeling in my gut that said, "You judge people sometimes." I was sitting there fighting that "inner voice" .... "DO I?"
Then into my mind came the thoughts I had had just the day before at the store with my husband standing there with me when I saw a girl with very short daisy duke shorts and a long sweater that almost made me wonder if she had shorts on, and a pair of high heels. She was young, she wa lean and she was pretty. I remembered catching myself thinking..."Some nerve...is she here to pick up a man? Why would she wear something like that to go grocery shopping on a Sunday afternoon? She probably wants to attract men- wants them to notice her.Is my husband tempted to look at her?"
In my innnermost parts, I was judging her...without knowing her. Isn't that what prejudice or pre judging means? We judge someone or something before we know anything about them?
I guess I am not as diverse as I would like to be.
I would hope that at some point in my life another person wasn't judging me just based on what I was wearing....
But then there is the story that a good friend shared with me once she got to know me better about how she had judged us based on what my kids were wearing!