Thursday, September 15, 2005

Overcoming a Legacy of Inequality

We're all guilty of it. Treating others as less equal than ourselves, treating entire groups of people that way. It's become painstakingly apparent to me with recent events, recognizing systemic, generational poverty that in many cases has to do with racism. And even in teaching the history of our nation, so full of greedy men and women who thought themselves better than everyone else, and therefore feeling they possessed inherent rights higher than others.

But what I've realized is that regardless of my gender or race or class or whatever, I'm a beggar in the kingdom of God. In God's sight we're all on one plane, there isn't Jew or Greek or Gentile or male or female or intelligence level or status. We're all equal.

1 comment:

Tmproff said...

I have to agree with you on this one. I catch myself thinking about "Those unfortunate people". It's not something that I consciously do, but has been imbedded in me.

There is a good side to this....When I volunteered last weekend, I worked side by side with some of the evacuees. The thought never came into my mind to treat them any differently than I do anyone else.

I hope that this event might help society to focus more on charitable acts (homeless, single parents, etc). I know that it altered mine.