Privilege
Deut. 8:11-20
Take a bow for all the good you have done in your life.
Photo by Leo_Visions on Unsplash
Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today. If you do forget the Lord your God and follow other gods to serve and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord is destroying before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. - Deut. 8:11-20
In today's reading from Deuteronomy, we are reminded of the source of our successes.
Yes, we did the work, and we should be proud of our accomplishments, but who laid the foundation for us?
There is a lot of talk about privilege these days. The concept is a simple one. Some of us have an advantage from the start. It is like being allowed to start the race early.
Is that privilege God-given?
Does God pick out some of us for greatness and wealth, while ignoring others?
I don't believe that is what is being said here. And I don't believe we should assume that our successes in life are because God favors us, which is what the people in the time of this writing believed.
We are reminded that we will all perish, regardless of the advantage we have today, and that we all have the God-given foundation on which to build our lives.
So, if I manage to have good fortune, and have been honest in my dealings, I should thank God for helping me get started along that path.
If I fail to accomplish my goals, I, too, should be thankful for God's support in my efforts, even though I didn't get what I wanted.
Today, though, we resent those who have a head start in life. The ones who are born into wealthy families and inherit their wealth and power are not considered worthy of our respect.
Should they feel favored by God?
Maybe they should, even more so than someone who makes his fortune from hard work.
They have more to be thankful for, since they haven't earned it. So, should it be taken from them and given to others who haven't earned it?
Privilege is a weird thing. It provides the opportunity to do good, but it doesn't require it.
I watched a video of a track meet where one of the young participants fell close to the finish line and another racer stopped to help him up, running the final steps alongside him.
That is what is possible when you have an advantage in life. You can make a difference in someone else's life.
If you choose to.
That's why God gave us free will. He wants to see what we do with our privilege.