I spend quite a bit of time working among diverse people and communities. It is one of the major blessings of my job. I get to learn in ways that I wouldn't if I were around people like me constantly. It can be confusing, though, because often people speak using the same words and themes, but mean different things. I had a relatively wealthy person say to me recently, "Why do some people keep asking for more and more? Why can't we all be equal?"

That word "equal" is what gets many people confused because they mean different things when they use it. Confusion like this can cause people to get angry with each other because they will view each other as ignorant, at best, or lying, at worst. So let's make a distinction here between "equality" and "equity."

Equality is treating everyone equal from this point forward. If I get something, you get something. If you get something, I get something. The problem is that it doesn't take into consideration that people are starting from unequal positions. If you start out with $100, and I start out with $10, and we are both given $1 from this point forward, we may be getting equal amounts of cash, but you started off richer than me.

Equity is treating people differently in order to get to equality, taking into account differing starting points. If you start with $100, and I start with $10, I would be given $90 before our regular payments of $1. This allows for us to be truly equal, even though the payment of $90 was not given to us both equally.

The Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal." We know this isn't true, though, unless we take it to mean that "all men are created equally in God's eyes." Skin color, genetics, socio-economic status, geographic location, surname, and a multitude of other factors makes us unequal from the time we are born.

Some of us, especially those of us that are white, male, straight, and non-immigrants have historically (and today!) had more advantages than others. Our ancestors enslaved people from Africa and killed most of the members of the First Nations in order to gain economically. Until the beginning of the 1800s, only property-owning white males could vote. In many states, Jews and Catholics did not have the right to vote. Women only gained the right to vote in 1920. Those are a lot of barriers to have to overcome.

This idea of equity is everywhere in the scriptures of my Christian tradition. In the book of James, the author is angry at the rich people in his audience because they have been treating rich converts/guests/members better than poor ones. Rich people got seats, while the poor had to sit on the floor. In order for the Kingdom of God to be realized, the rich had to lose their usual privilege of sitting in seats or places of honor. This is hard.

That's why so many passages in scripture are so forceful against rich people. Here is a passage my preacher shared a couple of weeks ago:

"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you." James 5:1-6

Another example, this time from Jesus. Pay attention to the second half:

"Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

'Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.'" Luke 6:20-26

In the Kingdom of God, equality is the aim, but it must be done through equity. Everyone must be made equal before they are treated equal. The mission of Christians and the church is to make this a reality on earth. For those of us that are privileged, it means being willing to sacrifice some of our wealth and power so that others can be lifted up. That's what Jesus did.