On Value

Equality - we all talk about it.  For some of us the idea is born out of political correctness.  Others may have been fortunate enough to be brought up by parents who sought to endow them with a sincere appreciation for others' worth and the ability to view the world without prejudice.  But whatever our angle on equality, we all still have some inherent need to place a measurable value on ourselves and others, and ironically this universal trait that we all share is the root of our inequality.  I learned this tonight from a man named Matthew and a Man named Mike.
A new friend spontaneously invited me to attend a speech this evening that was being given by former Presidential candidate and current Fox News celebrity, Mike Huckabee.  The event was held at his church, located in a nice neighborhood in southern Alabama.  An admitted fan of the Arkansas Governor, I decided to attend and showed up at site for the event as others were pouring into the parking lot.  The church was simply massive, complete with professional quality basketball court and fitness center, a Starbucks-esque coffee bar in the lobby and imposingly grandios modern architechture that lead one to believe that Baptists are now creating the world's cathedrals.  As I made my way through the Disney World size parking lot, a woman approached me and asked if I had any cash to spare.  There was a man standing next to her, and I could tell by his appearance that he was obviously homeless.  He politely interrupted her, as if to preempt any confusion that he was simply looking for a handout, and informed me that he simply wanted to come inside and see the speech.  Admittedly surprised by his intense desire to see a weekend talkshow host, I was inclined to oblige and we made our way into the Hilton of Alabama Baptist churches.
The lobby was full of art exhibits and a string quartet was playing classical music on the loft.  (The evening's event was a celebration of Christian art and expression.)  The crowd looked like what one would expect the attendees at an art gallery opening or political fundraiser; men and women in designer suits and clothes mingling in small groups that filled the building.  I felt underdressed in my jeans and untucked gap shirt, but then realized that the unusuualness of my attire was by far being overshadowed by that of my guest.  As we stood in the lobby and chatted, Matt was surprisingly and refreshingly open about his story and his life.  He told me of his past and how he got to where he was.  Then at one point I commented on the size of the crowd and he said "Yeah, it's funny how many more people will come when you charge a cover for something."  The truth of his comment hit me immediately, but only partially, as I was willing to bet that there weren't nearly as many people packing the house last Sunday morining, when the doors were open for free.
The show was impressive, showcasing some local Alabama talent, afterwhich Gov. Huckabee spoke, but not before playing the Bass with the church band in a cover of "Sweet Home Alabama."  In his speech, he addressed many topics from the arts to abortion to politics and education. At one point he spoke about the Declaration of Independence.  In that section of his speech he emphasized that we are "all created equal," not valued based on our heritage, race or socioeconic status.  But he went a bit further than speeches that I have heard in the past, emphasizing that we are all of equal value regardless of our talents, notariety or accomplishments.  Our value is given to us absolutely, and is something that cannot be earned.
How many of us truly believe that we are all of equal value?  Most adhere to a belief that we all begin with an equal starting value and then increase that value throughout our lives through effort and hard work.  Through succeeding in life, we make our lives more valuable than others.  We notionaly aknowledge that all life has intrinsic value, but continue in a lifestyle that places us in a heirchy compared to every other individual who has ever lived.  In doing so, we make success our idol.  We find our true value and worth not in the true worth given to us by our creator, but in an artificial inflation created by ourselves.  We work tirelessly to maintain our status in the heirchy by improving financially, socially or even ethically - all the while scoring points in a game in which we subconsciously compete with everyone we meet or see.  Think of anyone you know or even know of - your best friend or a celebrity from TMZ.  Don't you already have a subconscious scorecard balancing your good and bad traits against theirs?  Which of you is smarter, nicer, lazier, a better spouse or better Christian?  Without realizing it, we are all part of an unspoken and often unrealized eternal competition. 
But an amazing thing happens when we abandon the game, when we realize that our only true value in the world is the value given to us by the God who created us, and that every life bears an exactly equal value.  In that moment we become free from the idol who had mocked us as we exhausted ourselves to the pursuit of success.  We become no "better" or no "worse" than anyone around us.  We realize the true meaning of dignity and are free to finally live without prejudice.  For only when we cease to see ourselves in a heirchical relationship to the rest of the world can we truly cease to view others as inferior.  And when we do so, our eyes are open and we realize that what we once saw as "value" was simply a myth, and there is no reason to show up for the show simply because there is a cover charge.