Which way the Kingdom of God?
For me, this picture truly paints a thousand words. When I come to think about it, why does the person on the left need the box in the first place? Is he not already well equipped enough, due to his height, to see the game? Giving him a box to stand on, in the name of equality, just enables him to have a much more comfortable view, whilst the person on the right either has no view at all, or may just be peeking through a tiny hole in the fence. The intention of treating everyone the same/equally is to be seen to be favouring no one, whilst in reality, it just reinforces the position/power of those who already have the prerequisites for succeeding. In giving the person on the right what he needs to participate fully, equity is being practised. This does not take away from the experience of either of the other two people. In fact, in this instance, it may even enrich their experience by the contribution that the third person brings to the enjoyment of the game, by having the same opportunity as the others to view the game.
By embracing the concept of equity, rather than sticking to equality, we may just see more of the freedom that is within the Kingdom of God, and to live the fullness of God. We have not been born on a level playing field, but we have, through the way we live, the choices we make on a day to day basis, the opportunity to practise the art of equity. God is surely inviting us all to use our privilege in a broken world to advocate for those with fewer opportunities and more barriers to overcome, due to life in a colour conscious society.
““And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”
#RacialJustice&Unity