I'm OK!

Why do we find it so easy to believe we deserve what we have, and others deserve what they don't?

Far too often, we don't just put ourselves first; we see ourselves and only ourselves.

Somehow, being self-centered—and proud of it—has come to be seen as a virtue in our society.Argue that access to clean water is a right and one of the first responses you'll hear is "If people would just pull up their bootstraps"— never mind that they can't afford boots— "they'd have the resources to access water."

Argue that access to nutrition is a right and you will get the same argument. Argue that access to education or healthcare is a right and you will wade through that very same stream.

Far too many people subscribe to the "I'm OK, so why should I give a damn about you." philosophy. All of this comes from our penchant to judge others to be less worthy than ourselves. This is where prejudice and racism and sexism and all the other isms come from.

Many people desperately want to be part of a superior group, to fit into that superior group and to be able to look down their noses at people who don't. Many people are terrified to admit that they aren't anything special, that they aren't self-made and that much of what they have has come from past opportunities that not all have. Many people are absolutely terrified that allowing others to also have opportunities, they will lose what they have. They need that feeling of superiority to justify their belief that they are special and entitled.

The curious thing—not funny, but revealing—is that many people are proud of their prejudice. Pride and prejudice?

Saddest of all, this judgmental attitude of superiority is something that many Christians like to cling to. Without it, the judgment gospel, the belligerent gospel and their more familiar cousin, the prosperity gospel would be dead. And we'd have to come face to face with what Jesus really preached.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous". - Jesus in Matthew 5:43-45

So, what does it mean to love?

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" - Matthew 25:35-40

I'm OK!

Wonderful, so how are your neighbours, all of them?