All Are Created Equal – But Not Identical

There’s a lot being said these days about equality and “equity.” I used to think the latter term was referring to the amount of money my house would be worth if I sold it. That’s the thing about language; it’s dynamic and always taking on new meanings and uses.

 

When I think of equality, the words from the Declaration of Independence come to mind; “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among them are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness….”

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the term “equality” has been hijacked and given a sense very different from what our Founding Fathers intended. I believe the words “created equal” related to being afforded equal opportunity. For some, however, they understand those words now to mean equal outcomes – something very different.

 

Consider this: At a university, one student attends every class, completes every assignment, studies diligently for all of the quizzes, tests and exams, and earns an A-plus. Another student goes to class occasionally, when she doesn’t find any more appealing options. She only does some of the assignments – you need time for fun, right? Once in a while she crams for a test, but for the most part presumes she can get by with only a minimum of effort. As a result, she is awarded with a C-minus.

 

Both students had the same opportunity, but only one took full advantage of it. Would it be fair to give both students an A? Or what if the fruits of their labor – or lack of it – were averaged together and both were given a final grade of B? Would that be fair?

 

That, I believe, is the difference between equality and equity. Both being given equal opportunity, but neither being guaranteed an equal outcome. “Pursuit” of happiness does not promise achieving it.

 

Where does the whole notion of being “created equal” come from, anyway? Throughout human history there have been the haves and the have-nots: caste systems, such as exist to this day in some nations; feudalism, in which the nobility (lords) ruled over the peasants (serfs); slavery, in which one group – even of the same race and color – owns and controls members of another group. Something that exists to this day in some parts of the world.

 

Many students of history point out that the idea of equality, as it’s traditionally understood, was born out of Christianity and Judeo-Christian thought. For instance, the oft-quoted Psalm 139:14-16 declares, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well…. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

 

This passage states we indeed were created by God, planned and formed in the womb, but also implies a uniqueness. That we created equally by the Lord, but not identical. In fact, Isaiah 64:8 says, “But now, Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter, and all of us are the work of Your hand.” 

 

Just as a potter using clay doesn’t always create the same pot over and over, our heavenly Father molds and fashions us into unique, special creations for His divine purposes. That’s why some people have wonderful singing voices or resonant speaking voices; some are gifted artists or writers, while others are mechanically inclined; some are drawn to the field of medicine, while others are accountants, teachers, law enforcement officers, or entrepreneurs.

 

Growing up in New Jersey, I was a New York Yankees fan and used to daydream about becoming the next Mickey Mantle or Yogi Berra. The only problem was, I wasn’t fast or quick, not especially strong, couldn’t hit a baseball well, was only average in catching it, and was very lacking in other important athletic attributes. No matter how hard I might have tried, I never would have made it to center field or behind home plate at Yankee Stadium. It just wasn’t in God’s plan for me.

 

The challenge is trying to discover who we are – who God created us to be – and to learn to be the very best we can be at that. No sense in arguing, saying, “Why couldn’t that be me, Lord?” As the apostle Paul admonished in Romans 9:20-21, “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”

So, I see no point in begrudging the fact that I’m not rich like Bill Gates or Elon Musk, musically talented like Paul McCartney or a gifted actor like Denzel Washington. God created me to be me, to do those things He intended only for me, and to do the best at those that I possibly can. Just as He created you to be you. In the Lord’s sight, we’re equal to anyone else – but not identical. We’re the clay; He’s the potter.