What is Fair or Reasonable?

In the Drudge report an article says this administration's justice department is going after Starbucks for firing a dwarf in 2009 as a violation of the American with Disabilities Act.  The suit is about a dwarf (or whatever the nomenclature of the decade is for groups because we must be fair in what we call people) female who was fired after three days of training and asking for a stool to do her job.  Those kiosks seem too small with several people moving about to add a piece of furniture to satisfy the "reasonable" part of the ADA.  In a touch of irony, the Starbucks company offered coffee to those who would join the Obama volunteer program after his election.  Do you wonder if they at Starbucks corporate think this is fair or reasonable?

Years ago I was asked to design a pizza restaurant for a guy wanting to build his own  business.  The salesman had designed a plan and offered to supply him with all of the equipment he would need for a price.  Some price!  The salesman did not ask the man who was going to do most of the cooking and of course it was the young owner who was left-handed.  We designed the restaurant with a left-flow, changing doors and equipment which would fit him  I am sure if he built it his other employees would get rattled working backwards as most places are designed for a right flow.  Would that be unfair?  It was his investment and his sweat which would cause this company to succeed.  I guess the right-handed employees could say it wasn't fair. 

Most of the time we have heard something wasn't fair from a child complaining about their sibling.  "Why does he get to do ______________ (fill in the blank). That's not fair!"  We may have groaned when a teacher gave us a pop quiz and because we had not kept up with our studies we decry, "That's not fair!"  Fairness usually comes from those who have no power demanding equal status or results.  The problem is that LIFE IS NOT FAIR.  Sorry to bust your bubbles.

God is not FAIR either.  No he is not fair because fairness is relative and changing and God does not change.  He is righteous.  He is just.  He is holy, but he is NOT FAIR!  Praise God.  Since fairness is usually in an other's eye, if he was fair he would be weak and powerless.  He would do things to please others, such as a governmental agency trying to make all things the same.  Since God is righteous, he will always do what is right, not according to our eyes, values, and desires but his.  We might think it would be fair to just say something like, "Everyone sins so God, just erase our sins and we can start over from here."  However, this is impossible to eradicate sin without the payment of blood.  Therefore he offered his son.  Could you imagine Jesus saying in the Garden, "God, this isn't fair.  I really want to re-think this issue and get back to you with a new list of options." 

I am glad God is not fair.  I could never count on salvation because God might change his mind if I didn't keep up my end of the bargin.  I could never trust God because he might on a whim destroy me instead of love me.  I am glad God is faithful and not fair.