Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it. – Deuteronomy 1:17

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 31, 2012): Deuteronomy 1

The political season is upon us. It is the time of year when the voter is asked to make a decision on who it is that will do the best job in the office for which they are running. Who is it that is telling the truth? Who is it that has the best ability to complete the task at hand? Who is it that has a grasp on the problems that the culture has to face?

For most, the vote seems to run along party lines. And there is a good reason for that. Often the party reveals the core belief of the candidate. The candidate (hopefully) joins the party that best suits what it is that they believe. It is that core belief that will guide them through the decisions that will need to be made. They are illuminating light or the colored lens through which the candidate views the world. And it is unlikely that a candidate will make a decision that goes against that core belief. Most party beliefs are complex and wading through the pros and cons beyond the average voter; so instead we rely on bullet points and abbreviated statements of belief. Sometimes a core belief can be boiled down even to one statement. For the Tea Party in 2008 that single core belief was a balanced budget and the beginning of a process that would pay down the debt of a nation. It was a simple, concise and understandable core belief – and the result was a number votes were cast in their direction when voting day finally arrived.

Moses starts off his last address to Israel by reminding them of where they had come from – and what it was that they believed. And early on in the belief discussion was something that we have come to mistakenly believe is recent social development – that all men were created equal. It did not matter who it was – both the greatest movers and architect of the nation and lowest worker were equal and deserving of the same justice from the social system. And when they were judged, there would be no partiality in the judgment.

The same belief is a cornerstone of modern culture, although it seems that we often forget that. We are all equal – everyone. In the eyes of God, what we possess or create or know does not make us any more special than anyone else. We are special – but that includes everyone. And we are all loved – and again, that means everyone.    

   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 2