Day 195 – Luxuries DifferOf the many assumptions we harmfully make about other people, one of the widely ignored, yet all too common, is the assumption that other people have the same luxuries, opportunities, conveniences, rights, and privileges as oneself. There are fewer ways to so effectively incite the subtle wrath of Heaven than through this assumption.
Many posh, white collar, calm, upper-middle class leaders in society experience family problems, unforeseen groundswells that overwhelm their organizations, and even unexplained medical trouble that ends the life or career of a leader who was outwardly celebrated, leaving the family or organization in delusional disarray. Cities and nations are no exception.
No matter your class or race, if you travel enough, you will surely find a place in the world where “your kind” faces trouble from assumptions of a local culture or extra requirements making your normal life nearly impossible—but seems as “no big deal” to the government that crafted those requirements. This applies to everyone. If you haven’t experienced this, it isn’t because you have “favor” with Heaven; you just haven’t traveled enough to see it.
Limits on what one can and can’t do come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it is a well-earned prejudice in society, other times it is an urban myth invented by the movies. It could be law, language, or the level of education of a small town. Try using a high school vocabulary word at a school board meeting in a school district where the board of education can’t read above age 10 and see how quickly you get labeled as “verbally abusive”.
Sometimes, the luxuries and limits are about the time or means of travel. Extended family may come to visit you for the first time in a decade. They may have only one afternoon available for you. If you change their appointment at the last minute for the cleaning lady, you might never see that family again.
We can’t remove every prejudice from the world, though it would be wonderful if we could. Simply recognize your luxuries and that others’ luxuries aren’t the same. Ask first. If you don’t, Heaven will humble you through a subtle groundswell and you’ll never know why.
Zechariah 7:8-14
