Created equal
My father said something once, when I was in high school, that stuck in my mind. In reference to some argument roiling through the body politic on the news, he said, "Equal doesn't mean identical. It doesn't mean outcomes are guaranteed. People are never going to be identical to each other, and if we insist on uniformity, all we'll end up with is uniform mediocrity."
Being 'the same' would actually diminish us all. There will always be differences in our talents and aptitudes. There will be differences in our interests and desires. The principle of being equal is in our value. When we understand that we are children of God, we realize that our value is enormous and eternal.
The Declaration of Independence speaks to the pursuit of happiness, in other words the right to self-determination. I might want to pursue music or teaching, and you might want to pursue business, or nursing, or construction, or any number of things. The points that matter are honest work and matching your gifts with your endeavors. There will always be variance in our roles and successes.
If we put this in a context of the gospel's perspective, we would measure more simply, by character, learning, and service. What can we offer? Each of us has unique experience, and unique gifts. We may not recognize some of our experiences as 'gifts.' We think of them as trials or griefs we are anxious to leave behind and never have to look at again, but God may steer us towards someone who needs to know that they too can overcome what they're trying to deal with, because you've been there, and lived to come out the other side. If our background is different from someone else's, we can contribute perspective. In so many different ways, we can enrich each other, if we will.
Paul said that in the gospel of Christ, there is neither Greek nor Jew, male nor female, bond nor free...we can be of one mind and heart without being all the same in wealth, talent, or position. Seeing each other as children of God, we would not get caught up in what we're 'not' or what we have or don't have, but in delight for the chance to know and love each other. We can watch out for each other, and find a blessing in every person whose life crosses our own. That is the spiritual measure of success.
Being 'the same' would actually diminish us all. There will always be differences in our talents and aptitudes. There will be differences in our interests and desires. The principle of being equal is in our value. When we understand that we are children of God, we realize that our value is enormous and eternal.
The Declaration of Independence speaks to the pursuit of happiness, in other words the right to self-determination. I might want to pursue music or teaching, and you might want to pursue business, or nursing, or construction, or any number of things. The points that matter are honest work and matching your gifts with your endeavors. There will always be variance in our roles and successes.
If we put this in a context of the gospel's perspective, we would measure more simply, by character, learning, and service. What can we offer? Each of us has unique experience, and unique gifts. We may not recognize some of our experiences as 'gifts.' We think of them as trials or griefs we are anxious to leave behind and never have to look at again, but God may steer us towards someone who needs to know that they too can overcome what they're trying to deal with, because you've been there, and lived to come out the other side. If our background is different from someone else's, we can contribute perspective. In so many different ways, we can enrich each other, if we will.
Paul said that in the gospel of Christ, there is neither Greek nor Jew, male nor female, bond nor free...we can be of one mind and heart without being all the same in wealth, talent, or position. Seeing each other as children of God, we would not get caught up in what we're 'not' or what we have or don't have, but in delight for the chance to know and love each other. We can watch out for each other, and find a blessing in every person whose life crosses our own. That is the spiritual measure of success.
" Each of us has unique experience, and unique gifts." To which I would add that God expects us to use those gifts.
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