Part One
If you had accidentally walked in on the meeting, the unfolding scene you’d have seen featured a young woman, early 20s, sitting face-to-face with an older man, probably in late 40s. The thick tension had a life of its own. The woman, looking disconcerted and slightly mystified, rambled on about goals and objectives trying to keep the conversation moving forward. While the man, with the tapping of his pen, grew ever angrier. Tap, tap transitioned to tap-tap-tap as the man’s face tensed. Abruptly, the young woman ended the meeting with an excuse that her time was needed elsewhere. The man bolted from the room with a loud explosion of frustrated air, “Harrumph!”
That young woman was me some 30 years ago. The task before me at my new job was to create a new marketing and public relations department in a mid-sized company. At just 22 and fresh out of college, I felt overwhelmed and underprepared for the obstacles laid before me. Not one area manager had ever created, much less implemented, a sales and marketing plan. And here I was teaching and guiding people at least twice my age. I was the “fresh faced,” “wet-behind-the ears” college girl. To some I was the pushy “know it all.” While to others I was a welcomed opportunity to make a positive impact on their business. And then there was Tom*.
As a long-time manager for our retail printing and copy services, Tom had enjoyed a quiet existence doing things his way without anyone bothering him. Until I came along. After each interaction with Tom, I found myself questioning and revising my communication tactics. Nothing was working. He was angry from the beginning to the end of each meeting.
I finally went to my boss seeking help. After laying out the situation to my female boss, she laughed and simply said, “That’s Tom. He hates women. So don’t worry, it’s not your ideas or what you want to accomplish. It’s just you.” In a strange way that brought me relief. I couldn’t change the fact that I was a woman (and I still can’t btw) so I was able to keep moving forward with my bosses’ mandates with or without his enthusiasm.
Over the years I have experienced this same dislike or disrespect towards women. Not often, thankfully. And fortunately, I’m not one to let anyone stand in my way of doing a job. But the injustice has laid in my memory for years and years.
"I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter…And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Ecclesiastes 4:1 & 4
I never discovered the impetus behind Tom’s hatred of women. But I have heard many people of late justify their dislike of another sex, race, economic class, etc. out of envy or jealousy. The real or imagined slight of “they have what I don’t have and I want and it isn’t fair” has long been the sinful root of other sins.
I’ve heard it said by pastors and Bible teachers that the 10 Commandments can be drilled down to two commands: 1) Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, body and soul and 2) Love your neighbor as yourself. If, as Christians, we were to work tirelessly each day at these two summaries, oh how much more joy and peace and love we would have in our lives! Instead, as King Solomon discovered 1,000s of years ago in his meaning of life research, we see people being oppressed in all manner of ways, foolish people striving for money and stuff, and others hoarding their earthly treasures.
"There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!" Ecclesiastes 4:8
The world looks arounds and screams, “Where is the justice?! Why do YOU have what I want and need?” They march and protest about the 1% and demand equity. They march and protest about certain races needing to “check themselves.” And in some churches, where we are to be set apart, what do we hear being taught?
The evangelicals who are saying the most and talking the loudest these days about what’s referred to as “social justice” seem to have a very different perspective (than the solution being in the Gospel of Jesus Christ). Their rhetoric certainly points a different direction, demanding repentance and reparations from one ethnic group for the sins of its ancestors against another. It’s the language of law, not gospel—and worse, it mirrors the jargon of worldly politics, not the message of Christ. It is a startling irony that believers from different ethnic groups, now one in Christ, have chosen to divide over ethnicity. They have a true spiritual unity in Christ, which they disdain in favor of fleshly factions.
John MacArthur, Pastor, Author and host of Grace to You
Social justice is not God’s justice. Social justice is defined using the word “equity.” And equity means to take away, even by force or law, from others. I have seen some pastors tell their mostly white parishioners they need to not just be “not racist” but actively repent to others (not God). Why? For being white and therefore at some point in their white history an injustice was done to another race. They tell them to be quiet and not have any opinion on community issues because it’s “time for the other side to have their say.” If you are rich, you must feel guilty, even if you worked your way up from nothing. If you are a man, your patriarchy is evil. Divide, divide, divide. That, my friends, is not God’s plan for His people.
So according to this view of “social justice,” a person’s skin color might automatically require a public expression of repentance—not merely for the evils of his ancestors’ culture, but also for specific crimes he cannot possibly have been guilty of. There’s nothing remotely “just” about that idea, nor does any part of it relate to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The answer to every evil in every heart is not repentance for what someone else may have done, but repentance for your own sins, including hatred, anger, bitterness, or any other sinful attitude or behavior.
John MacArthur
The people described in Solomon’s fourth chapter of Ecclesiastes, titled in most Bibles, Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness, are not the reason why a person today is oppressed any more than a person 200 years ago or 30 years ago is the reason. People who are hated today – no matter their skin color, creed, financial status, or even sexuality – are treated badly because of today’s sins by people actually committing them. And no church or Christian should teach that the way to resolution is more of the same.
" If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain." 1 Timothy 6:3-5
Envy of the rich, hatred of the poor, disdain for a person’s skin color or social status, distrust and hatred of the sexes are all tools of the devil. All methods to divide and conquer. It’s been that way since before Solomon’s time — even by people who know the Word of God but don’t live it. If we take the route of retribution hatred grows and life becomes wrought with despair. Each sinful tool serves only to make life seem meaningless and hopeless.
But God as a different plan for us. One that will set you apart. Join me this Wednesday for Part Two of Enjoying Being Set Apart! Click here for part two.
*Tom is not his real name.
emboldened.net 