A recent PBS special on the American Buffalo made it clear that the root cause of the near extinction of that species was the presumption that Europeans were better than the indigenous population. How many other tragedies have been perpetrated because of similar thinking. Slavery was possible because white people were better than black people. Patriarchy was promoted because men were better than women. In the Biblical version of this mentality Jews were better than Gentiles. St. Paul blows away any such thoughts because, before God, we’re the same in our need. What’s the saying: we might have come on different ships but we’re all in the same boat now. For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. Faith is the answer to the human condition because in ourselves we are incapable of the fulness we are made for. God’s freely given gift of grace which we receive unasked and unearned gives us the blessed assurance that no one is better than any other. We are all the same in the emptiness that only God can fill.
