The Pain of Equality

“It’s annoying but justice and equality are mates. Aren’t they? Justice always wants to hang out with equality. And equality is a real pain.” Bono at the National Prayer Breakfast.

Equality. It is not a word or concept that I think much about. I think about Justice, I think about doing good for people- sometimes even do good for people. Jessi and I tithe faithfully to all sorts of organizations including our church. But I usually don’t think about Equality.

But then Bono’s words hit me. Of course it is about equality. You see the problem with my charity is that I often don’t equate myself with the people I am giving to. To be very blunt—I think I am better than they are.

Somehow I believe that I am responsible for all my wealth, my family, my job, all my blessings. The reality is everything is a gift from God and all of humanity is in the same boat. There really is a fine line between me and the poor, the sick, the criminals. That line is grace. The reality is though I am not better, and I just more privileged and therefore have more of an obligation to reach out to the rest not with charity but with equality. Not just giving to them, but being with them, seeing myself as one of them. Seeing them how God sees them.

Then I got to thinking about all the issues of the world that are caused by people thinking they are better than other people. The list is long.

Check out the rest of Bono’s speech at http://www.data.org/archives/000774.php