Value - Part Two

After reading that article (see Value - Part One) I was, at once, angry and then sad. I knew that this subject had been rolling around in my head and in my heart for a long time and this article just seemed to be a sharp pain in the side, a prompting to say what I have to say. I think the actions of the owner of this company to be completely reprehensible, but I realize that he's only doing what he feels is right. It is not the actions themselves that upset me so much as the system that makes these actions not only legal, but good business. It is to the system that I wish to address my thoughts.

R.Sherman in his excellent blog on the Fourth of July wrote about the great American experiment and how wonderful its all become. My comments, at the time, were cryptic - something to the effect of, I'm not going to argue against this on the Fourth of July. The offending phrase in his blog and this article should be clearly seen as at war with each other.

He wrote, "That's because, until those thoughts were formed and used to found a new country, the only other organizing principle for government was that, where the many served the interest of the few. The peasant existed not for his own pleasure or happiness, but to provide for the pleasure and happiness of the king. He had value, but only so long as he could grow crops or swing a sword. The king wielded power and governed to ensure that the peasant would continue to do those things for his sovereign, like it or not."

How far have we actually come in this great and free United States? Without naming off the numerous abuses, I need only remind you of the article above, the questions of universal health care, the destruction of a free and public education, the outsourcing of our jobs, and the straight forward fact that the rich get richer, and the poor continue to get poorer. New system, same outcome. The peasants still exist for the pleasure of the king, still only have value so long as they can produce a commodity or defend one, still does things to make the sovereign richer, even as it makes him poorer.

To state it succinctly, the central problem of our world and of all our systems, is the value we place on human lives. It has always been this way since the beginning. Adam and Eve, in the garden, did not value themselves enough - they wanted more! They had everything... but they still wanted what God had! Cain killed Abel because he had God's favor. The brothers sold Joseph into slavery because he had his father's favor. David was king and had God's love and respect, but he still wanted Bathsheba. I could go on.

You'd think, with thousands of years of human thought, we'd have progressed beyond this point. In this great nation of ours you can still have Enron. You can still see companies that make a profit downsize its workforce because it didn't make enough profit. You can see that 18 year employees aren't worth as much as a discount in health care costs. When it comes to human thought, nobody is as valuable to us as ourselves.

Do you value other's opinions? Do you value their struggles? Do you value their emotions? Do you value their lives? Do you? I know I don't. I want to, but when push comes to shove, its my values that matter the most. My opinion that mattters. My struggle that is heroic. My emotions that need to be addressed. My life that is important.

Jesus's words fought against this very thing. Blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers, the last shall be first, etc... We are all in a position to decide where Jesus would be on what side of the argument - but consider this, Jesus thought everyone valuable enough to die for them; young and old, rich and pour, Americans and Asians, Jews and Muslims, Republicans and Democrats, Liberals and Conservatives, good and evil. They were all valuable to Him.

Know this, in God's eyes, you are the most valuable person on Earth... and so is everyone else. Its time we really start valuing others, the way we value ourselves.