There was an poor, uneducated, immigrant Arabic woman who was hired at a local restaurant that was located in an upper-class, well-educated neighborhood that catered primarily to those who reflected that demographic. Those who lived in this particular community were satisfied with having only those who were educated with financial means to live in this community and work in this particular restaurant that was frequented by many of the community residents.
The Arabic woman was hired to help serve meals and to occasionally wash dishes. However, she had difficulty speaking and clearly understanding English. She understood some key words and phrases but very little. This greatly annoyed the other employees, many who lived in the community. Many were very impatient with her and spoke ill and ridiculed her. Each day at work, they made fun of her and were unwilling to help her assimilate into the environment. Even those in management refused to yield time to help her understand what was fully expected of her. They avoided and ignored her when she requested for help. The waiters and waitresses, those who despised her being hired in the first place refused to help her as well, and would stand back and laugh when she would get something wrong or make a mistake. Finally, just as the Arabic woman was about to quit her job, sobbing tremendously, after having been bruised, taunted and abandoned by everyone else because she was an immigrant who didn't comprehend the English language well, an elderly woman who had been employed with the restaurant for nearly 30 years came and sat next to her. The elderly employee placed her hand on the shoulder and said to her to be strong and hang in there and that she would spend all the time needed to help navigate her way through the work place, and learn the language and understand the job for which she was hired. She began to show her how to greet people, and a faster way to clean and take orders. She gave her one on one training on breaks, or when the restaurant had a slow period took her by the hand and patiently stood nearby incase she ran into a difficult spot. Finally, when the Arabic woman asked the elderly employee why she was willing to help her, she responded that when she was hired 30 years ago, she too was not a product of the surrounding community, lacked the educational standards of many of those whom she served and understood what it was like to feel helpless and distressed. This elderly employee was willing to pick this battered Arabic woman up and make provisions for her until she was able to make it on her own. James 2:1-5 states, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones drag you into court? Are they not the ones blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfilled the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “ Do not commit adultery,” also said, “ Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become the transgressor the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgement is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.”
