WRITTEN BY: LORRAINE LAM

I remember being at a community gathering; it was one created for individuals to talk about their experiences in supporting homeless people and low-income families. It was framed as a place where all were welcome, with chairs set up around a table in a little back room within a church space. People started to arrive and took their seats. Then Stacey (name changed) arrived in her wheelchair. There was no wheelchair ramp, nor was the door wide enough to fit her wheelchair. So despite all the chairs that had been set up, there was no seat for her.

All were welcome… except Stacey.

It was a standard church “missions month” event: free hot meals, donation items, and a temporary respite from the winter weather elements. I remember seeing posters around the neighborhood promoting the event: “ALL ARE WELCOME!” in bright, bold text without much information outside of the date, time, and location. The day of the event came, and I remember asking a number of people in the community if they were going to attend. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people said no.

“I don’t have transportation money to take the bus out there and back.”

All were welcome, except those who didn’t have the means.

THE POWER OF EQUITY

In both scenarios, the people with the least access to resources were left out. I don’t doubt the intentions of the organizers in this situation. I don’t believe the event was set up to exclude people. But that’s the thing: even our best intentions can cause harm. Even our most well-meaning intentions can have blindspots that lead to excluding those most on the margins.

Equity and equality are not the same, even if we often hear the words used interchangeably. “Equality” can be considered in the context of fairness: the same opportunities and resources are available for everyone. “Equity”, however, recognizes that because of how privilege and societal -isms* intersect, not everyone starts at the same place, and so adjustments have to be made in order to achieve equality.

Imagine a school giving every student a laptop for school-related work: the same laptop, regardless of students’ resources and learning styles. This is fair; it’s equal.

Equity, though, recognizes that some students don’t have internet access at home, or that some students might not have housing security or a quiet place to do work outside of school. Equity would not just give students laptops, but would offer access to internet hotspots and quiet workspaces for students.

A teacher might offer to spend an hour a week with each student (equality), but might spend an extra few hours with the students who don’t have access to tutoring and internet access (equity).

Equality is a hockey coach giving every teammate a pair of skates: the same pair and same size. How generous, and how fair! But we know that there are teammates with different sized-feet. Equity would be taking into account each teammate’s shoe size, for instance, and purchasing accordingly so that each player has a pair of skates that fit. Equity would recognize that some teammates might not have the resources (hockey is expensive!) to get a helmet and hockey stick and offer that as well.

Equity takes work. It takes more time than charity. It calls those with more power and resources to set aside what we think is fair (sure sounds like Jesus—Phil. 2), and understand contexts. It often requires us to build bridges and create proximity with those around us who are different and on the margins in order to know what is most needed and to create opportunities for access.

Where Do We Start?

I think a lot about what Jesus means when he says, “the Kingdom of God is here!” (i.e. Luke 17). I look around at the state of the world, totally baffled, at how this could be anything like the Kingdom. It is ravaged by destruction, racism, poverty, and the world is literally on fire. But I’m reminded that Jesus doesn’t leave it at that. He teaches that in this kingdom, the last will be first (sounds like the work of equity to me), and calls us to be faithful laborers in that pursuit.

What an invitation!

So where do we start?

1) Look Upward: Take a Posture of Humility

Before anything else, we need to set our hearts and minds straight. We must repent of our own assumptions and biases (individual and collective), and ask Jesus for help in adopting a posture of humility so that we can listen well, and be comfortable being wrong. We must set aside our default assumption of knowing and being right; get okay with not knowing, and be comfortable asking questions, unlearning and re-learning what we think we know.

2) Look Inward: Self-reflection

Our human default is to point out all the problems about everyone else before reflecting inward. It’s always easier to name everyone else’s faults than our own. Jesus teaches us to deal with the speck in our own eyes first: so let’s start there. What are the gaps in our understanding? What don’t we know? Do we have implicit biases and assumptions that form the way we look at the world—even if our intentions are well-meaning? (Short answer is, yes.)

For instance, Harvard has a very interesting and eye-opening Implicit Bias Survey* that is one tool we can use to self-examine. In what areas do we have power and privilege, and how does that influence the way we see the world and make decisions, sometimes reinforcing the same systems of inequity that we say we want to dismantle?

3) Look Outward: Build Relationships and Move Away from Homogeneity

The process of learning and unlearning happens best in relationship with the people around us, and those different from us. Are our five frequently-contacted individuals the same socioeconomic status as us? Same gender, same race, same faith background? If so, how do we diversify our perspectives and learn from them?

We need to know: who are those around us who are “last” and on the margins? We need to know, not just as abstract facts, but we need to know them personally. Societally, we know that racialized people have less access to resources. Do we have relationships with those we want to support? We cannot assume we know what people need without asking them first. In order to know what people need and how to care for people, we need to be in relationships with them. In Scripture repeatedly, I am struck by how there are so many recounts of Jesus looking people in their eyes—stopping what He was doing in the middle of a journey to ask what they needed from him.

4) Look Around: Start Small; Start Local; Start Where You Are

We need to set aside the desire to start new things and be a hero, and instead partner with existing groups. As Dorthy Day put it, “Everybody wants a revolution, but nobody wants to do the dishes”. Can you be a dishwasher to support an ongoing effort?

Maybe you’re seeing a huge problem with food insecurity in your neighborhood. Equality is offering a food basket for every family every Friday night, but equity is getting to know your neighbors to know what people really need. Is your area mostly Muslim? If so, Halal food is required. Do most of your neighbors work evenings and weekends? If so, maybe food support on Friday nights is convenient for you, but not for those you hope to support. Maybe your neighbors have places they enjoy shopping at, but simply need transportation to pick up groceries; perhaps you can assist with driving people so they can access their food of choice instead of just giving them what you think they need. Is there an existing group you can partner with?

5) Look Forward: Commit to the Process

Justice and equity work is not a trend; it is a long-haul commitment to the Kingdom that Jesus spoke of. The work around equity is ongoing. Rosa Parks and MLK Jr. joined a struggle that was already happening and they made waves, but did not resolve racial justice in one march, or in the one bus ride.

***“Just because you are new to the struggle, it does not mean the struggle is new.”***

-Rania El Mugammar

Equity might take more work and time, but the outcome is the Kingdom of Jesus.

So, as we "set the table" for an Audacious Advent season, we must begin by laying the foundation with a deep understanding of true equity. Why? Because Advent is an opportunity to prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus and his message of love, compassion, and inclusion.

And when we comprehend the importance of equity, we align ourselves with the very essence of his teachings. Jesus called us to make the last first, to uplift the marginalized, and to ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has a place at the table. When we prioritize equity, we not only celebrate the season with a deeper understanding of its true meaning, but we also actively live out the spirit of audacious love and radical inclusivity that Jesus exemplified. We set the table for an Audacious Advent season defined by the transformative power of equity, bringing us closer to the Kingdom of Jesus, where love knows no bounds.

And it’s worth it.

Press on, take heart; let’s do some dishes.

Footnotes and Resources:

* isms = racism, classism, sexism, ableism, etc. These are systems of power that disadvantage certain groups over others, and the conversation around intersectionality cannot be ignored. 

Implicit Bias Survey

Wheel of Power and Privilege

About the Author

Lorraine Lam is a believer in cultivating hope-filled communities, seeking opportunities to speak and write to amplify voices that are silenced, while learning to be a more effective co-conspirator. She does regular consultations with local churches and non-profits, delivering workshops on crisis intervention, housing and homelessness, faith and justice, and worship.

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