That's Just Not Fair!
"That's just not fair!" My daughter often reminds me of this fact. I thought that my college student son would have learned of the unfairness of this life by being a "grown-up" and living away from home. WRONG.
"Please clean the bathroom." That's just not fair...I'm not the only one who uses it.
"Please do the dishes." That's just not fair...everyone ate.
"Be nice to your ___________." That's just not fair...they haven't been nice to me.
Round and round we go, all the while, in my children's estimation, the world is spinning out of control with unfairness at it's core.
I think what my 14-year old and 19-year old mean to say is "that's just not equal."
Fair = Equal.
I think that's what we're saying too, when we say:
I can't believe I lost my job and she got a new one. That's just not equal!
He's never been faithful to a woman, yet he keeps getting more. That's just not equal!
Susie works just as hard as Bobby and he gets paid more than her! That's just not equal! (It's not, for the record.)
My house is smaller than my sister's. That's just not equal!
They always gets picked first! That's just not equal!
We're right. It's not fair. It's not equal.
But there are some things that level the playing field:
Birthdays. Every single person that takes a breath outside of their mother's womb has a birthday. (Today is mine!)
The DMV. If you've had to go, you know. They don't ask you for your W-2 so they can determine your tax bracket or what neighborhood you live in. Whoever you are, you are merely a number. Take a seat, if you can find one.
Time. 24 hours. 60 minutes. 60 seconds. I can't buy it, you can't buy it. It is what it is.
Emotions. Whether you are homeless or you live in Beverly Hills. When you're jealous, you're jealous. When you're glad, you're glad. When you're lonely, you're lonely. When you're mad, you're mad.
Terminal Illness. "You've got 6 months to live." No matter who you are, those words hit you the same...like a ton of bricks.
Death. My grandfather's gone. My son John is, too. My friend's mom just died. Death makes me sick. It is not respectful. And it's coming for us all.
The Cross. Because all of sinned, we are equal in a way that transcends anything that we can comprehend. We ALL deserved a painful death and separation from God, forever. If not for the Cross of Jesus Christ, the word hope would not exist. The Cross is the greatest equalizer for all time and eternity.
His life, for my sin? That's just not equal. But it is what it is.