A friend sent a newsletter in which he talked about unfair circumstances.
Got me thinking about the source of our notion of fairness. Where did we ever get the idea that circumstances ought to be fair?
I don’t really have an answer, other than for me unfair usually means I didn’t get what I expected or what I thought I was entitled to. So maybe our notion of fairness comes from some sense of entitlement, a belief that we have some right to expect a certain set of circumstances.
If fairness means we’re entitled to the same circumstances as the other guy, my question would be, “Which other guy?”
For example, is it fair that I was born a white male in middle class America? When I talk about fair, am I comparing myself to other white male Americans, or to the average person in the world who would be grateful to live in my garage?
I suspect most of us find it pretty easy to tell others, “Life’s not fair!” At the same time, we feel slighted when we feel we’ve been treated unfairly.
I’ll leave you to ruminate about that.
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This notion of fairness hits close to home for me for two reasons. The first is kind of obvious. Lots of people tell me, even after all these years, that my injury isn’t fair. And they’re right, I suppose.
More importantly though, I think a lot about the kids at the Home of Hope. If anything is “unfair” it’s that those beautiful children were born into such horrible circumstances while I had such an easy path.
I don’t have an answer. I know Jesus holds them in his hands every moment of their precious lives. I know it will all be made right in the end. And I know none of that eases their suffering right now, and I want “right now” answers.
Faith, of course, isn’t demanding what I want, on my timeline, and stomping my feet when I don’t get it. Faith is about trust that Jesus sees bigger than I can see and is doing what’s best.
Even when it feels unfair.