Equality
Equality
We aspire, says the SA Constitution, to recognising the other person and the earth as equals. ‘Aspiring’ is a pretty idea, if we were en route to equality but many of us we hate it or we struggle to embrace it. On the other hand, in the journey towards a just society, we automatically work towards freedom for others. In this act, ideally, lies the joy of saying as others grab freedom, “now we are equal!” The actual world, though, over thousands of years, has lived unequally. With the exception of Scandinavia, the world does not even aspire to it. Correcting it seems impossible: the history of the accumulation of capital so badly skews in favour of the few. Just inheritance alone for South Africans, means our wretched past re-visits us every time a person from the ‘have-not’ past dies with little to inherit in comparison to the ‘haves’.
With great courage, it is possible for a community to change our world so that we are all actually equal. Slavery took over a hundred years to disappear but Methodists changed that world. Apartheid took three hundred years to die with help from the Spiritual Community. Equality, naturally, will only last a second because some human beings will get drunk and give away their new prosperity. Equality will only have lasted a brief moment in our history but at least equity will prevail where no one loses out. As a campaigning community for equality, we will address education issues so that new South Africans politically liberated but economically shackled will learn how to own property and live sustainably.
Not everyone will cope, even with education. How many very well educated friends do you have that are broke or drunk? That is why we must own the idea of equity, not equality. To try to live up to the high Scandinavian models should be our goal, reaching up for greatness. Not anywhere near mediocrity, equity is the economic model where no one loses out! We are not the same, living equally but we are all satisfied that we have enough. The paradigm in antiquity of the manna and the quails is a simple example. Another more modern example could be Bangladesh.
If we take seriously the Good News that heaven is free and say ‘yes’ to God in gratitude, then God empowers us to work for justice. This power gives us courage to take on massive projects like bringing equality to South Africa. The drive of the Spirit restlessly urges us from within to release power for justice. In fact, despite us in our gemors – forgiven sinners – the Spirit slowly changes us to become courageous (holy) and empowered for action, soaring like eagles.
