Roberta Meehan, ARCWP,
(Phoenix, AZ.)
Ezekiel 18:25-28
Psalm 25:4-9
Philippians 2:1-11
Matthew 21:28-32
God is not fair! God is not fair! God is not fair! How many times have we screamed those words either out loud or in our hearts? What is not fair? Deaths? Diseases? Losing jobs? Hurricanes? Tsunamis? Robberies? Wars? Family feuds? Of course it is not fair. Of course God is unfair for allowing these to occur. Right? Well, in the first reading, Ezekiel talks about how we think God's ways are not fair. Almost 3000 years ago Ezekiel says we often scream about God's unfairness in our own anguish and desperation because we want God to do things our way. Things haven’t changed much, have they? But, God does not work that way. We all know it intellectually. But, we really do want God to order the universe the way we think it should be ordered – our politicians, our sense of justice, our church leaders, our sense of world order. Everything should be as we envision it. Ezekiel reminds us that it is actually our ways that are unfair. It is not God’s ways that are unfair; it is our ways! But, we really do not listen to Ezekiel, do we? After almost 3000 years, the human spirit is still the same and each of us still knows what is best for the universe. If that weren’t bad enough, in the second reading Paul exhorts his beloved Philippians to “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory.” Of course, we disguise our selfishness and vainglory – because once again we are best at running the universe. We know what is right and who is right. Simple. We are just like the Philippians of 2000 years ago. Fairness according to each one of us is the way it should be, the way we firmly believe it should be. Of course, my concept of fairness may interfere with your concept of fairness. But, my fairness is more fair than your fairness, right? We all think that way on some level. If we listen carefully to those first two readings, we come away with the idea that maybe if we just sit with quiet acceptance and allow God to run the universe and give ourselves to each other selflessly, everything will be fine. That should work, right? It doesn’t matter who is trying to take on the position of God. That position has been filled for quite some time. We need to let that real God run the universe. We just have to sit back and let God take care of everything. That sounds simple enough. (Of course, we do have to get our human nature out of the way first – and that is somewhat of an impossible task. But after that….) Again, that sounds relatively simple. But, it is not simple because we are human – just as our ancestors in Ezekiel’s time and just as our ancestors in the time of the Philippians. We are human. Think about this. God was unfair enough to make us human. Despite all our warts and foibles and imperfections, we are human and we are free to choose to do God’s will. God is so unfair! God was unfair enough to give us a free will so that we could freely let God run the universe. Oh dear! Then we come to the gospel! This is where we see the action that can result from an understanding of the first two readings. Here we have two sons. The first says he is not going to go out and work in the vineyard but then changes his mind and goes. The second says he is going out to work in the vineyard but never quite gets around to it. Does this sound familiar to each of us? Of course, we are all like both of these sons most of the time, are we not? Sometimes we argue with someone else about whether or not we are going to do something. Sometimes we only argue with ourselves. And in our weaknesses, we freely choose – to work or not to work, to say “yes” or to say “no” to chose to run the universe or to let God take care of things while we simply do what we are called to do. That calling could be as simple as taking the dog for a walk or as life-changing as beginning a new career. We are free to choose. And it is just not fair, is it? We are all called to do many things. Sometimes we say “yes” and sometimes we say “no.” Sometimes we do what we are called to do and sometimes we don’t. The problem is accepting exactly what we are called to do and then doing it – while still letting God run the universe. Let us look at some of the more profound problems connected with this concept – problems that go beyond walking the dog or changing careers. The problem is being outraged by injustice and still allowing God to be the ultimate judge. The problem is teaching others to know what is right and to act accordingly without teaching them to be self-righteous and vainglorious. The problem is accepting tsunamis and hurricanes and volcanoes as part of God’s world and then getting in there and helping to clean up the mess when one strikes. The problem is realizing that wars and famine and pestilences are often the result of our failings and not the result of an unfair God – a God who gave us free will. If God waved a magic wand, our humanity would be diminished – and that would indeed be unfair! These are real challenges. These are challenges for the individual – each and every one of us – and they are also challenges for society and for the church. Can we examine our individual, societal, and ecclesial consciences just briefly – using our God-given free will – without being judgmental (and while still letting God run the universe)? God is unfair (but how can I think that when I know otherwise?) and I know how things should be in my life (and they just are not). God is letting the wicked get away with all kinds of things and those things are affecting me! This is not fair. I will humble myself – but only so far. The rest of the world humbles me – and that is not fair either. But, what is God calling me to do? Am I saying “yes” but adding provisos? Am I saying “yes” but worrying about how my actions will be received? Or am I saying “no” because the task seems so monumental but am I at the same time thinking and praying about it and then going ahead with what I am called to do, regardless of the consequences? Am I working on decreasing my tit-for-tat theology? God is unfair; this must be true or such-and-such a politician or mayor or king or whatever would not be in power or would never be running for public office. God is letting the wicked (in my eyes, anyway) get away with things and those things are affecting me and my society and my country and my well ordered universe! This is not fair! How can these people be so ignorant of God’s will? How can they not see that I know what is best for this town or this country or this world? How can God actually love these people? Even the end of the gospel does not say these horrid individuals won’t make it to heaven; it just says they won’t be the first to get in. I do not understand how God can even permit them to think about joining us at the eternal banquet! God is so unfair! (And I am so self-righteous and so vainglorious!) God allows tsunamis and hurricanes and volcanoes and starvation and disease. This is not fair! God allows me to be human! God allows me to exercise my free will. That is most certainly not fair. And as a human, with all my human imperfections, God expects me to make choices for good. God expects ME to go out into the vineyard and do some work? Me? God is so unfair! Why doesn’t God just do it for me? Wave that magic wand, or something, even though it will decrease my free will – decrease my humanity. After all, I am a good person and that is sure a lot of work God is asking ME to do! But, God has unfairly made me human. Because I am human, I can choose and I can be a part of this world. And God has chosen to let me be human and not to wave that magic wand. And the Church. The Church is guilty. God is totally unfair by allowing the injustices in the Church to exist. And God will probably forgive those people and love them anyway. In my universe they would get what they deserve! It is not that I am being selfish – it is just that those Church people are evil and they should be pulverized. What??? God, you have got to be kidding! You expect ME to go out there and do something for the Church – to help make your kingdom come? No, God. Not me! You cannot expect me to work in the vineyard. You have got all those church people out there who have already said “yes” to you. How can I say “yes” when I do not know what I am doing? You think I am saying “no” out of selfishness? Not a chance. You are just going to let those Pharisees and hypocrites into the kingdom anyway. Why should I go out there and do anything to make the church a better and safer place for all people? Why should I work toward understanding and equality and justice? Why should I do all those hard things when so many people are just sitting around. God, you are so UNFAIR! And the tax collectors and prostitutes believed and did God’s will.
Roberta M. Meehan, ARCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
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