Some of the things that people consider really important are not really that big a deal. Some issues that gets people all upset and argumentative in the larger scheme of things is not really worth the grief.
For example the debate over free-will and predestination. Knowing how divisive we can be with useful cloaks of ‘sticking to the truth’ and ‘not compromising’ to hide behind, I can well believe that families, marriages and churches have been split over the issue. I really can. It’s so sad when in the bigger scheme of things as I read it this is not an issue that God holds as the paramount single key word of truth on which He can be known. That’s how I read it. I could be wrong – please correct me in love if I am.
In any case another of the bugbears that people make a big deal about is the quest for equality. I think I understand why it’s such a big deal. The rights deal made a big fuss following two significant World Wars that caused human catastrophe on a scale that hadn’t been appreciated in the same way before. So from that we get the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and as the 20th Century progresses we get the struggles for freedom around the world – whether its the Civil Rights battle in America, or the break up of the British Empire as countries from Central America to India via the continent of Africa seek independence.
From that there emerges a greater politically/socially conscious awareness over equality – men and women, whites and non-whites, homosexual and heterosexual, etc. etc. Some may feel that we have made a sacred cow over the issue that is causing even more divisive issues among people as they learn to adapt.
Now the heart of the matter is important – it is worth fighting and dying for. Yet I don’t think it’s the heart that we go for or else we would not be in the mess that we’re in. That’s the porblem with looking to legislate something that’s a matter of the heart.
So the problem with equality is an understanding of looking to treat people the same, which is sometimes what we mean by equality. The obvious problem with treating people the same is the fact that is is unhelpful. It’s unhelpful because we are not the same. The best place to see that in action is in the home.
My parents brought up three children. Each child shared some important similarities – same parents, same surname, same house, same food, same car and most importantly same television. No problems there so far. Yet all three children were very different. Even though two of those three were sons, each one was very different. Different names, different ages, different sizes, different learning styles, different interests, so many differences that if we were treated the same then someone wouldn’t be treated fairly. Now what am I suggesting? Am I saying that we need to bend over backwards to be as person-specific as possible. Well, put it this way, how do I know how to get best out of an individual? Surely the only way is to get to know the individual and wherever possible look to serve them where they are individually.
That’s just a suggestion.
So in the whole drive for equality we can miss it in the sight of other larger issues of justice, fairness and righteousness. Sometimes the best thing to do in being fair may turn out to appear unfair on someone else. One of the children may need more time on an issue than the other. The other child may love to spend more time cuddling, where another prefers not to be so huggy-huggy.
Point being, the greatest challenge of life is not to treat people in the general, but treat them in the specific. They are a lot more than their nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or whatever. Their genius and beauty is found in what lies beneath and maybe the only time equality comes into it is that we should all be equally concerned to make understanding and thus serving others rightly the main thing.
Just a thought.
Carry on.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
dmcd
Life With CD 