PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

January 21, 2024

FOUR-WAY TEST (Part III)

Is it fair to all concerned?

Rotary’s Four-Way Test second question is “Is it fair to all concerned?”  In speaking about fairness Michelle Obama has said, “We learned about honesty and integrity – that the truth matters … that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules … and success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and square.”  Ronald Reagen put it this way, “There is no foundation like the rock of honesty and fairness, and when you build your life on that rock, with the cement of the faith in God that you have, then you have a real start.”

Being fair involves being impartial, just and not showing favoritism.  The Book of James has thirteen verses waring against impartiality.  In part it says, “My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please,’ while to the one who is in poor clothes you say, ‘Stand there,’ or ‘Sit at my feet,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?  Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.  Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? … You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scriptures, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors (James 2:1-5, 8-9).”

The Berwick Rotary Club in Australia has an interesting take on the second question of the Four-Way Test.  They suggest that to be fair one can use “empathy to see other points-of-view in the context of the problems to be solved and the goals to be reached.” Important are inclusion, empathy, acceptance, belonging, and accountability.  A number of years ago I attended a workshop about conflict resolution that was led by Jim Campbell.  Jim suggested that all parties to a conflict need to be able to state the other people’s points of view to their satisfaction.  We can not just think we know what might be fair in a particular situation, we need to discover if the other parties involved would also see it as being fair.

Abraham Lincoln is An example of a person who exhibited the quality of fairness in the most difficult situations.  As president he had to deal with complex issues and a variety of people.  For several months I have been watching several Great Courses which have to do with the Civil War.  There are many examples of where Lincoln was fair with people whom he did not like and with whom he disagreed.  Lincoln described his actions this way: “These men ask for just the same thing, fairness, and fairness only.  This, so far as in my power, they, and all others, shall have.”

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12).”  Today, this is known as the Golden Rule.  In Jewish tradition there is a negative form of the Golden Rule: do not treat others in ways that you would not like to be treated.  Taken together these two forms of the Golden Rule provide an excellent guideline in judging what is fair to all concerned.

(Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)