Contemplative Bible Reading

Proverbs 22:2 (New Living Translation)

The rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord made them both.

The two phrases in this sentence seem to be opposite.

• God created us all equal in His sight (the second phrase).
• There are unequal people—some rich, some poor (the first phrase).

Hmmm, doesn’t make sense to me.

I believe it is a matter of perspective. The first phrase is from an economic perspective of the world where we judge or label people according to their bank balance. Some persons certainly have more money in the bank than others.

The second phrase is from God’s perspective—the value of a soul created in His image.

The first perspective sure is easier for me to use. I know that 10 is more than 2. Bank balances; simple and easy. Cars; Mercedes are worth more than Chevys. Simple and easy.

Value of a soul created in God’s image? Tough one for me. There are moments when I catch a glimpse of that value. The other 98.6% of the time…well, I don’t do so well.

Please God, help me in my unbelief. Help me to choose the right perspective.