NOT FAIR
~ All’s fair in love and war ~ Fair enough ~ Fair and Square ~
LIFE ISN’T FAIR
It seems like there are a lot of phrases in the human language that have to do with fairness. Somehow, we are programmed to need the scales of justice (fairness somewhat) balanced perfectly on either side:
- - We better get the same if we have done the same thing
- - You better not get more than me
- - I know how well intentioned I am, so I deserve all I have
We do tend to believe this because we know ourselves: how hard we’ve worked and how good we are. So of course it’s fair that we have what we have. As for someone else … well … if they end up with more than us, there must be something going on. Surely there is unfairness here – they couldn’t have worked as hard as us, they couldn’t be as good as we are.
Laid out like this, it doesn’t sound complimentary, does it?
But we lean this way sometimes.
I wonder why?
This Sunday our scripture passage is the parable of the labourers in the vineyard. Some labourers work all day, others for an hour but they all get paid the same ... NOT FAIR!
Our word for this Sunday is curiosity. Let’s be curious to see if the story can teach us something other than fairness. How can this story help us know God more and be known by God more?
See you Sunday!