In whose predictions of the future do you place your faith? Are there “idols” in your life whose wisdom or advice your credit above God's? What will you do to change that attitude? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page 1016).
The
other day I heard a judge with complete seriousness tell a youthful
offender that “Life is unfair, get use to it.” I saw the youth
in the hall later and don't think by his demeanor that he had
resolved to keep the judge's advice.
Several
weeks ago we had a crisis in the NFL when relatively inept substitute
referees were undercutting the sense of reliable fairness in the game
of football. This threatened to undercut fan loyalty to the sport
as well as the safety of the players. During this crisis I never
once heard proffered the stultifying advice—life is unfair, get use
to it.
Overwhelming,
it is in the economic arena where we are asked to accept this
philosophy. While quite rightly complete equality of earnings would
not be fair, neither will I ever accept the doctrine that people
should not be able to earn a living wage by their labor while others
get rich off of it. We rail because people are not willing to work
for the minimum wage. Without exception those who rail are better
off and filled with patronizing advice.
Unlike
in football, there is a widespread belief that God endorses economic
unfairness. We say that God is in control therefore the status
quo must be his will. What hogwash! All throughout the Bible
God and the prophets of God and Jesus himself are always and forever
challenging the status quo with its panoply of injustices.
"I
pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to
the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all."
The
pledge of allegiance seems to suggest that the United States being
“under God” has His endorsement including most especially His
endorsement of the country's economic arrangements accepted by the
privileged without question with the ardor of wild idol worship.
I would rather think that a relationship with the Creator (as with
the fairness crisis in football) calls for sane effective corrective
action, not a bleating cry that “Life is unfair, get use to it.”
Get use to it?--No Way!
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