Equality

“All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.” (George Orwell, “Animal Farm).

God the Loving Father Calls All His Children (Maria Great)

There is a little fable written by the satirist, George Orwell called “Animal Farm”.  It is a very very short book – only ten short chapters long.  It is written allegorically, which means that all of the animals in the story actually represent something else in the real world.  In this case, the animals represent the people and societal institutions and classes involved in the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia.

It is one of my favourite books because not only is it easy to read, but it also lends information on the history of a very pivotal change in the Twentieth century.

In the book, the pigs represent the government and politicians as they are the most clever animals on Animal Farm.  At the start of the book, the pigs write some rules, which they call “commandments” and these rules include the very important rule “All animals are equal.”  However, the moral of the story is the power corrupts and that great power corrupts greatly!  And so, by the end of the book, the pigs have modified the “commandments” and changed the rule to read, “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”  This literary device is called a paradox, where it appears that the statement is contradictory, but in fact it reveals a hidden truth, which is that power corrupts.

I have been thinking about his clever little book as I have been thinking about my life in Christ.  You see, in the Church, we are all equal.

“In the Church there is equality, because once baptized we are all equal, all children of the same God, our Father. There is no difference as Christians between the Pope and someone who has just joined the Church. But this radical equality does not mean that we can change the constitution of the Church in those things that were established by Christ. By expressed divine will there are different functions which imply different capacities, an indelible character conferred on the sacred ministers by the Sacrament of Orders. At the summit of this order is Peter's successor and, with him, and under him, all the bishops with the triple mission of sanctifying, governing and teaching.” (Saint Josemaria, “In love with the Church”, at 30-31).

And I have been thinking about this.  Because this means that whether I am a man or woman, or child or adult, I am equally loved by my God.  But this does not mean that we all receive the same or equal support.  You see, a child might need additional assistance to understand God, and someone who is newly converted to the Church might make more mistakes than someone who was formed in the faith from an early age.  And God – who is infinite Wisdom – knows all of this and makes whatever adjustments are required.

And when I think about this today I can understand that though some animals are equal, with God, none will ever be more equal than others…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.