Acts 10:34

"God shows no partiality." 

Reflection by Donna Schaper

Listen to a litany of that slave master, the self. Only you can prevent narcissism. It is all up to you. You are number one. If you don't take care of yourself, who will? 

These are all active justifications for the nearly universal excessive regard most of us have for ourselves. There are passive ones as well. If you have ever really tried to get outside of your own head, or your own origin, or your own race or sexual orientation, you have come to know an exquisite form of failure. We are in traps. They could be called homes as well, especially as we learn to think of ourselves as spokes and not wheels.

"God shows no partiality" is good news for humanity and bad news for the self-consciousness of the narcissist. I know how hard I competed with my brother and sister to be my parents' favorite. I also know that my three kids loved the game of "favorites." It goes like this. All three grab me around the knees. They were short then. One says, I'm your favorite, right?  I say yes, with enthusiasm. The second does the same. I repeat my yes, with enthusiasm. The third does the same, and again I lie. The game ends, eyeball to eyeball with three short people, one at a time:  "You are my favorite and you are my favorite and you are my favorite."  Everyone laughs and the game of partiality is over.

God couldn't be God and have favorites.  Get over it. God can only be God and be impartial. The morally immature don't get it and assign superiority to their selves or their class or their national origin. Grown-ups don't.

Prayer

Thank you, God for the gift of impartiality, which requires that we grow up. Amen.

About the Author Donna Schaper is the Senior Minister of Judson Memorial Church in New York City. Her latest work is 20 Ways to Keep Sabbath, from The Pilgrim Press. Check out her work at www.judson.org.