Do You Care About Fair?

Cars in the drive-thru sat three abreast. I pulled behind the car in the outside lane, leaving myself the opportunity to rethink the decision to not go inside. Now, let me preface the rest of this scene by saying, this bank is notoriously understaffed and seems to have an incredibly high turnover rate. This, of course, means long lines and long waits.  

Maybe it won't be so bad, I thought. After all, I'm really only fourth in line.

Another row of cars began to fill in beside me. All three lanes were now two-deep with customers waiting to do their banking. 

The car ahead of me pulled off.

Terrific! Once the first cars in the other two lanes are helped, I should be next.

The car in the middle lane pulled away. The car in the inside lane pulled away. I awaited the friendly voice of a teller. 

And there it was! But it was coming through the speaker in the middle lane. Huh? 

Good morning! What are we doing today? This time, the voice emanated from the speaker in the inside lane! Oh, come on now, I thought. 

I watched as canisters shot through the tube and into the cradle outside each open car window. It seemed like minutes ticked away before the speaker at my window crackled and a cheery voice, clearly oblivious to my despair greeted me. Fair is important to us.

But is fair really what we long for? I mean, if you were to head downtown, do the man-on-the-street sort of thing, and begin interviewing random folks --What do you want most out of life? or What do you want most in this world? --would "fair" even be in the top ten of answers? Things in this world can be pretty unfair, that's for sure, but why does no one demand fairness above all of those other things? Joy, family, winning the lottery, healing, world peace. Fairness usually comes to mind when we are being treated unfairly.

America is a country where most of us --I think --believe "fair" is something to which we are entitled. All men are created equal, etc., etc. When we don't receive fair treatment, we raise our voices, we demand it of others. And, if you're sitting in the drive-thru at the bank, chances are a voice comes back at you through the speaker apologizing profusely for neglecting your rights, you continue with your transaction, and you go about your day, maybe relating your story to a person or two, but generally, forgetting the incident. For a country that alludes to fairness in its founding principles, we have certainly learned to deal with the unfairness that comes with existing in this world. When we don't experience fairness, we are --whether on social media or behind our backs --met with callous judgment. Life's tough, get a helmet. Life isn't fair, get over it. No one goes through life thinking everything is in actuality, fair. In fact, right now, I'm being met with someone (I know you're out there) saying, What's your point?

That is my point. God is fair. Totally, completely, perfectly fair. And yet, it is on Him we lay the most judgment, the most responsibility for the unfairness we experience. How many times have you heard of people who turned their back on God because He didn't handle things as they imagined? Reality fell short of their expectations, and it was God who was deemed unfair, unjust. All of our comparisons --MaryBeth got the promotion and I have worked for it for years, and The Davises have a perfect lawn and they don't even aerate --are fallacies, meant to distract us from who God is and what He is doing. Instead of praying for others or rejoicing with them, instead of gratitude for things God so graciously gives us --things He, in His wisdom and lovingkindness has determined are best for us --we are like petulant and spoiled children, complaining and looking over the fence to things that aren't meant for us nor good for us. Fair is ridiculously important to us when we believe we are being treated unfairly; when we don't get, things must be unfair. We suddenly become gods with full knowledge of what is best for us, what we should have, what we are owed, and how quickly it is to be delivered. But if fairness is going to be important to us, we should completely and with the utmost clarity understand what we are due and what we have been given. Only God is truly fair. And only God, through Jesus Christ, has created a way by which His fairness is satisfied and our lives are spared. We are, without Christ, deserving of death. Whatever blessing we receive in this life is not only fair but undeserved, bestowed on us by our Father who knows us better than we know ourselves and loves us as much as the dear Son He sent for our redemption. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!