July 1, 2015

“All too quickly we feel and resent what we suffer at the hands of others, but remain indifferent to the suffering we inflict upon others.”
Thomas a'Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book 2, Chapter 5

When I first read this, the first thing I thought of was the quote from Jesus: “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?”  It's all too easy to point out the faults of others while ignoring or rationalizing our own faults.

That was the first thing I thought.  But, as I sat with it, I realized that this wasn't really what Thomas was saying.  It went deeper than that.  It goes deeper because, while Jesus' words challenge us to exam our own faults before we criticize the faults of others, these words of Thomas begin to remind us of the suffering we cause to others.  Thomas wrote these words at the earliest in 1418.  He was ahead of his time by approximately 580 years when, in 1998, an updated Confession of Sin appeared in the supplemental liturgical resource Enriching Our Worship 1 with the words, “We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf.”

For some of us in our modern American society, we are accustomed to getting what we want when we want it.  This is reflected in small ways in our expectation of being served at a restaurant promptly, or being politely waited on at clothing stores while we purchase the items we want, or being able to fill our refrigerators with fresh produce, or taking everyday activities for granted.

But when we don't get our food fast enough, when the clothes and food we want are unavailable, or when someone else is granted the right of equal access for something we thought was our privilege, too many of us make the claim, “It's not fair,” or make claims of persecution.  In reality, we are not being persecuted and it is fair; it's just that we would rather see our own inconvenience and “suffering” instead of the inequality and suffering done to others by, or on behalf of, us.

And this goes well beyond quick, inexpensive food and clothing items.  This also addresses a variety of privileges we take for granted but are often unwilling to grant to those who differ from us.  A certain group of people can expect to be served and purchase basic items without question, while another group of people are unable to purchase those same basic items because of income inequality, lack of availability, or are refused services based upon “deeply held religious beliefs.”

There seems to be a (unfounded) belief that granting equal rights to “them” means fewer rights for me.

At its very worst though, it shows up in the actions of Dylann Roof and the recent unidentified arsonists, who are so afraid of granting people of color equal access to the various privileges they themselves enjoy, that they are driven to kill people and burn churches.

Will we continue to believe we are being persecuted when others are granted the same rights and privileges that we ourselves enjoy?  Will we remain indifferent to the pain and suffering inflicted on others, either by us directly or by others “on our behalf?”

These words of Thomas a'Kempis, and the words in the aforementioned Confession, should give us pause and prompt us to open our eyes to a world fallen short of God's will that there is no partiality.

Amen.