Saint Stuart
November 10, 2022

To me, equality means allowing all people freedom in their lives that bring about the best experiences and opportunities of life. To have those freedoms inhibited through discrimination is a great injustice, yet we have seen it happen throughout history and have heard the inevitable cries of the oppressed. Some of those cries have come from the recent history of our current decade that started off with a worldwide pandemic– Black Lives Matter, residential school graves, unvaccinated people losing jobs and access to employment and education, Muslims in China forcefully sent to “education camps”, protests in Iran, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. When this decade started, I thought we would be entering into a time of peace and equality, but here we are only about three years in with new and massive human rights movements and a threat of a world war.

What are the benefits of equality? Through it, all people have their deserved chance to make a beneficial impact on the world and to not suffer the mental anguish of being denied something based on illogical reasoning. By the nature of how God made us, we all share in the possibilities of experiencing the serenity of a mind at peace, the natural ecstasy of loving, wholesome relationships and opportunities to provide for ourselves and loved ones by contributing to the world and our communities through an occupation. If those things so vital to our health and well-being are disrupted by something as horrible as individual or even systemic discrimination, serious trauma develops and society suffers.

It’s not just the individuals who are directly affected by inequality who suffer, but also anyone with a sympathetic heart who is made known to disgraceful practices of racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice that are remnants of what strong and courageous hearts, minds and wills of morally intelligent people have been purging from our world for millennia. Just knowing about it causes stress and anguish in innocent minds, causing people to protest and organize to expose evil that needs to be dealt with– a necessary but frustrating process.

As a spiritual person, my message to anyone who would prefer to allow inequality to influence their lives is that inequality goes against the progress of God’s kingdom. The Bible teaches in Galatians 5:20 that one of the “works of the flesh” to be avoided is division. Division disrupts potentially beneficial relationships that are otherwise celebrated through an establishment of unity and what many term “universal brotherhood/sisterhood”. Division holds on to misconceptions that having an open heart and mind eradicate. It breaks apart families, friendships, partnerships, cultures and societies. It impedes the noble idea that we all deserve equal consideration and respect because we all have capabilities and potentialities that a life free of oppression will enable us to improve and utilize. We still see division in politics and religion very regularly, showing a world still polarized on many issues. People who dedicate themselves to addressing inequality will help bring unity by helping others understand vital universal truths that break down those unhealthy barriers of division.

Equality is also taught in the saying of Jesus in Matthew 7:12, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” In our modern age I have regrettably discovered how people will relentlessly antagonise others over the internet, spouting their opinions without any openness of learning about an opposing or alternate point of view. In this time where communication has blown up to be instantaneous on a global scale, having the ability to discourse with others in courteous and respectful ways is very important. Do we appreciate it when someone ignores, blocks or slanders us when they don’t accept or understand our own beliefs and intentions? Not likely. If we ever feel compelled to do the same, we can do unto others instead and offer a response in honesty if it is just to say we’re not interested in discussing further. Be careful about creating division over a matter of opinion or preference as we ought to show others we are capable of tolerating them despite difference. Keeping that in practice will alleviate much of the stress that comes through interacting with others in the ways we have available to us today. When we consider equality, we think twice about treating others in a way that would annoy, upset or hurt ourselves if it happened to us. We can put ourselves in their shoes and show some compassion and understanding if we need to. Our hope of progressing toward a future of equality and tolerance hinges on our willingness to learn from our interactions with others instead of using those interactions to simply declare our own view without allowing or making an effort to seriously comprehend a response.

As we continue in this decade in a world still wrought with the types of injustice that many have spoken against time and time again, my prayer is that God’s kingdom will shine through in the unity of brothers and sisters honouring the truth and blessing that we are all created equal. Also, that we consider the golden rule taught by belief systems and philosophies separated over vast expanses of time and distance– that we should act toward others in a way that we would like to be treated. Then we may continue to experience the fruits of understanding and joy of unity in a world created by God to appreciate those and many other blessings. Amen.