Is God fair?

We are troubled by the plight of the handicapped children at Hong Chi Special School, the poor farmers’ children in Hubei, and the destitute orphans in Gansu. Through no fault of their own, somehow they are placed in a position facing extremely long odds in life. For that matter, why should one be born to parents receiving comprehensive assistance but not billionaires? Why should one have to eat in street stalls facing the elements but not in ELEMENTS itself? Is God being fair?

Sometimes I think it is the wrong question to ask. Each of us is in a unique station in life. Some may be richer, poorer, prettier, uglier, healthier, sicker, smarter, dumber, having perfect pitch, singing off-key, coordinated, clumsy, loved more, loved less, ... Just because we are different does not necessarily mean God is unfair to some.

We cannot control the card that has been dealt to us, hence it is not what we will be judged on. But we do have control on what we do with the card, and that is what we will be judged on. Now, that is being fair.

So when a young man buys a company with his rich father’s money and becomes chairman of the company, people are not impressed. But when a man from a poor family works his way up and becomes a successful businessman, people show him respect.

Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”(Luke 12:48) What we have now is not really ours to keep, it is merely entrusted to us - for a purpose. And one day we have to give an account on what we have been entrusted with. Sometimes I shudder to think what God is going to demand from those who are “filthy” rich, so to speak.

These are trucks outside the DingXi train station being protected against the elements by straw matts. They are carrying potatoes waiting to be loaded onto the trains. DingXi proclaims itself the Home of The Potatoes - its main produce.

DingXi is one of the poorest counties in Gansu, one of the poorest provinces in China.