Differences

There are differences between all the persons of the world. Some differences are very minor, such as the difference in handedness and the direction of whorls of hair in identical twins. Some differences are greater, as the differences among race, gender, body type and size. We have, after long struggles, pretty much overcome our negative feelings with regard to such differences, but still, there are some who hold even these differences in low regard.
The most pointed disagreements, however, are based more upon the differences in beliefs, whether these are beliefs that a person holds about himself or whether these are beliefs having to do with the order of the Universe or God. These differences, especially where the above intersect with these beliefs, are enough to cause great discord, not only in our minds, but in the entire world.
We may have it in our minds that certain people deserve good things to happen to them based on the right appearance, the right behaviour, and the right beliefs. We may also understand that others don’t deserve those good things if they are different from us in any appreciable way. But I would say to you that there is no hierarchy of good. One person is not better than another. Different, yes, but not better. And it is time that we in the world came to understand that one person equals another equals another equals another. We are all people. And all people deserve good things.
We can’t expect things to just be handed to us, in spite of whether we deserve the same things as everyone else. There is a catch. We have to be willing to take on a certain amount of responsibility in order to claim our just deserts. Even those of us who are disabled in one way or another have certain obligations and requirements, hoops to jump through, if you will, before we can get our food, clothing, shelter, the necessities of life.
What is insidious is that some people believe themselves to be better than others for no more reason than that they are different. I would encourage these people to take a long look in the mirror and see if they, too, are different in some way, because at some point in their lives, someone may point to them and incriminate them as being undeserving.
If you are willing to take away the rights from someone else, think for a moment. Something as small as a car accident can take away the perfect you and replace it with someone who, according to your own standard, is undeserving. Think for a moment before you throw down a narrow look at someone who is handicapped or obese, or gay, or has a different faith, or has no faith at all, or any number of differences that are out there. As the beautiful Native American prayer states, “Great Spirit, grant that I may not judge my neighbor until I have walked a mile in his moccassins.”