New Reminders: Equity

Making life fair seems to be a relentless cultural ambition but it’s simply not possible this side of heaven, and the Federal Communications Commission may be the only government institution that understand this.  On August 4, 1987, the FCC voted 4-0 to abolish the Fairness Doctrine, which required radio & television stations to present balanced coverage of controversial issues.  The world isn’t fair, but we must treat people equitably. Beaumont Enterprise, 8/4/23, p.B7

Anyone who has more than one child soon learns that to be fair we have to treat children individually rather than exactly the same.  For example, if one brother loves books and the other loves trucks and the parent gives them each a toy truck, trying to treat them equally, the brother who loves books will say” that’s not fair!’ because his brother got what he wanted but he didn’t.  If the brothers fight, and the parent punishes both of them the same, without finding out which one caused the fight, the one who is innocent will say “That’s not fair!”.  Maybe that is how children learn that life isn’t fair, but it does not teach them how to be fair.  It only fosters resentment.

All too many of us carry that kind of resentment into adulthood and we tend to apply those same feelings of resentment to every little perceived slight.  How then do we ever learn to treat people fairly?  Yet, as Christians, we are called to do so.

The Apostle Paul put it this way: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  In Galatians 3:28 Paul emphasizes the unity of believers in Christ.  Regardless of race, gender or social status, all believers are equal in the eyes of God.  This verse dismantles any notion of superiority or hierarchy based on external factors and highlights the equal standing that all believers have in Christ.  That is all well and good, but what about nonbelievers?  Is it okay to treat them as less deserving?

God is the creator of all people.  He created each of us with purposeful differences.  Jesus showed us by example that no one is inherently superior or inferior.  He demonstrated that he values each individual and desires that His followers treat all people with fairness and respect.  He challenges us to examine our attitudes towards wealth and poverty, gender and ethnicity and to advocate for justice and equality for all.  We simply need to remember that like a good parent who sees each child as equal and treats each one fairly by respecting their differences, we too can learn to treat every person we encounter as a valued member of God’s kingdom on earth.