<h1>Equality and Salvation</h1>

Jonah 3+4/Matthew 19+20

            Those of us who have been saved often forget it’s exactly that: Salvation. We don’t get better. We don’t grow up and deserve Heaven; we get saved. We get pulled from the fire. We are dragged from the burning building. We are snatched up from the sea. Saved. Self-Righteousness is born out of the forgetting that. Crazy fundamentalism and ugly Unitarianism is often born of that forgetfulness.

            We get into a very, very rough place when we start comparing ourselves to others. Granted, it is as natural a thing to do as breath, but it is still detrimental. When we compare we start to justify or vilify ourselves. As long as we know that there is somebody worse than us or better than us we can go through our day. We want the hierarchy. For those of us with a rebellious streak we like to have something to prove that we’re better. For those of us with a follower’s streak we like to see that people are better. It is nice, easy, and organized.

            Today, I finally understand the whole “first shall be last and the last shall be first” thing. It’s not about trading places but becoming equals. One day it will only be us, our shit, and God. The only thing standing between damnation and us is Jesus. That’s where the equality comes in.

            How bassakwards is that from what we’ve been taught? Religion and God is supposed to promote our inequalities. It’s supposed to separate the good from the bad and who is to say what’s good and bad anyway? We’re taught that equality is when we focus on how everybody’s inherent goodness.

            The Bible says differently. Equality comes when we all stand before a perfect God and see how imperfect we really are. I am no different than anybody else. I’m no worse than anybody else and I am sure as heaven and hell not better than anybody else. That is true equality.

            Preacher who was saved at eight or felon who got saved on death row: equal in the sight of God. So the last don’t go to the front of the line and the first to the back: everybody stands together.