In a film that has been released recently, there was a scene showing Indiana and "white" people considering each other savages and calling each other depreciative names. What brought this about? The simple fact that they were different - different in custom, dress and beliefs.

This story is present in everyday life on all levels of society. On the national level, the result of prejudice brings about wars and disasters. Certain countries are not ready to accept or rather are too proud to accept any solution sought out by a foreign person or team especially if he ( or they) are from different culture or a country they consider to be inferior to them.

On the individual level it is even more frequent. Some people consider themselves of a higher class than others, thus looking down on their colleagues, employees, neighbours or sometimes even relatives, Just because they have a swimming pool in their back garden or because their son has got more O' levels than their neighbour's.

Last week a friend of mine had a discussion with someone. There was a conflict of ideas. At one point, one of them said, "U int fejn tifhem!" Why is it that while someone agrees with my ideas, he is my best friend but if he "dares" to show a different opinion than... he is ignorant or not up to date?

Ignorant, savage, stupid, strange and a million other dispregiative adjectives... These are the words commonly used by us, intelligent, civilized, educated people. We are not open to accept other people's way of life, ideas opinions. We are always ready to point our finger to others. We are always ready to criticize. If you are different from me, you are an outcast. Is this what Christ taught us? Is this what He died for? If so, than His sacrifice was useless. However, something CAN be done. If a ripple is started it is small in the beginning and gets larger as it moves outwards. But, it has to be started and it has to be started by You and Me without waiting for anybody else to do so. We start with our brothers and sisters, that is the family which is the nucleus of our society. If one does not learn to accept the differences in the members of the family, how can this understanding be extended to friends and others who are not so close to us? We have to be the living example to all the other members of our society, who by eventually taking our example will continue to weaken the barriers of hostility.

Variety is the spice of life! Therefore people with different characters and different ideas bring about a wondrous variety - a mixture which enhances the beauty around us, and which would be rather dull and monotonous without.

Nowadays, everyone is too busy to look around calmly at his fellow neighbour, too tense to overlook any slight grievance, and therefore too selfish to even consider that someone else might be right and you might be wrong.

When creating the world, God rested on the 7th day. We should also find a moment of rest during which we can stop and think and try to appreciate life and the people around us.