Fair's Fair

There are some sayings in the English language that most people agree with out of habit because they seem reasonable.  One such saying is “Fair’s fair.”  On the surface, it is a believable statement and one most would agree with, especially 8 year-olds figuring out how to divide a cookie (one breaks, the other one chooses first).  But the reality is that life is rarely that clear cut.  In education, many students need accommodations in order to succeed.  Years ago when I was studying to be a teacher, we were told many times, “Fair is not the same as even.”  Some kids need more specialized attention or adaptations to the curriculum in order to be on “the same playing field” as other kids.  Those with physical handicaps need accommodations as well, whether it is a ramp to get into a building, material in Braille in order to read or a sign language interpreter, to name a few.
While most people would agree that such sensitivities to people’s needs is the right thing to do, there is still some expectation about “fair play” when all other factors seem equal.  Unfortunately, we still have to deal with prejudices that don’t play fair at all.  Two people, one of color and one white, may have the same job and be paid different amounts.  The same is true about the salary gap between men and women. Fair is not fair.
In the Gospel lesson this week (Matthew 20:1-16), Jesus offers a parable about the kingdom of heaven that challenges all we understand about fair play.  How can those workers who don’t put in a full day’s work get paid the same amount as those who have toiled all day? In our capitalistic economy, this does not add up at all.
And it never will, because God’s economy is completely different than our understanding of fairness.  God’s economy allows an innocent man to be tortured and killed, then come back and tell us how much we are loved.  God’s economy allows for a worker who labors for an hour or two to be just as blessed as the one who labors 8 or 10 hours. 
The analogy is that regardless of how long one is a believer, the reward is exactly the same.  There is no caste system in heaven, with life-long believers getting “more” than those who have a death bed conversion.  All the faithful are treated equally. The more difficult part of this equation is that those who work longer should be celebrating with those who worked only a short amount of time, because they too are part of the kingdom of heaven.  In fact, I believe Jesus is challenging his followers to do all they can to seek out people to come to “work” regardless of the lateness of the hour, and to do so with joy as they are sharing the most precious and important opportunity available. 
Is this fair?  Yes.  What doesn’t seem fair is that we get the thrill of sharing this wonderful opportunity with others and it doesn’t cost us a thing!
In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Give God the Glory

Reflections on Chapters 12-14 of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Years ago, I had a grandparent chargingly ask me if it was OK for her to be proud of her granddaughter, because she had been taught, “Pride goeth before the fall.”   I assured her that being proud of her grandchild was not a sin when the feeling was offered in thanksgiving of the accomplishment and not boosting up one’s own ego. “Look at what I have done,” has been the down fall of many people because they neglect or forget those that helped them achieve their goals. The Book of Acts shares story after story of the importance of acknowledging that all power and might comes from God, to whom we should offer our thanks and praise.   When our egos take over and we congratulate only ourselves for what we have done, we become idolatrous. Chapter 12 records an terrible story of King Herod’s response to the apostles.   He outright kills James and then arrests Peter, who is guarded by over 30 men....
Read more

Good Lord, Deliver Us

Today is the “Hallmark Holiday” Valentine’s Day.  Some of us will mark the occasion by wearing red or remembering at the last minute to buy a card or flowers of one’s beloved.  But my thoughts and prayers are with the 17 families of Parkland, Florida who mark today as the first anniversary of living without a loved one who was killed in a shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.  It seems hard to believe a year has past since that awful day, which also happened to be Ash Wednesday.   Due to that fact, I was not as “plugged-in” that day and only got snippets of information between services.   As the details emerged, it was tragic and heartbreaking, taking on a surreal shimmer as most unthinkable acts do. Unfortunately, it was quite real, and the aftermath will be felt forever. I don’t know any of the victims, however I feel a connection to Carmen Schentrup, who was a 16 (almost 17) year old senior with big plans. She was also Episcopalian. ...
Read more

Transformation

Reflections on Chapters 9-11 of the Acts of the Apostles A little over a year ago, on the Feast of St. Paul’s Conversion (January 25), I wrote a blog post entitled “People Don’t Change – Until They Do.”   In our cynical world, too often we dismiss the idea that transformation can be a reality: that a criminal can be rehabilitated; an addict can remain in recovery, a “sinner” can become a “saint.” It is true that, being human, many of us fall short of complete change (I’ve lost and gained the same 40-50 lbs. many times in my life). However, such skepticism neglects the power of the Holy Spirit at work in peoples lives.   As we continue to read through the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, an essential art of what the author is sharing with us are amazing stories of such radical transformation that the only thing that can account for it is the Holy Spirit. And it begins with Saul.   He is the perfect villain in the story of the apostles.   No one was more opp...
Read more