The back of a person, who has a Pride flag draped around their shoulders and are wearing a baseball cap with the word 'Equality' embroidered on it. Photo: By elyssa renae on Unsplash.
Thought for the Week 2: David Wright says equality is spiritual
‘Equality cannot be defined in secular terms.’
Equality is one of the core pillars of Quakerism. And the more I think about it, the more it seems to me that it’s the most important of these pillars. But at the same time it’s the most elusive: what does equality even mean in this context?
It takes all sorts to make a world, as the saying goes, and manifestly we’re not all the same in the eyes of that world. Some of us have outstanding abilities, perhaps as athletes, musicians, academics, or leadership. Some of us are exceptionally wealthy, or of high social standing, or physically beautiful. But for Quakers, equality means something far more subtle, and cannot be defined in secular terms.
For me, equality can only be defined as a spiritual quality, allied to ‘that of God in everyone’. Therein lies the reason I used the term ‘elusive’. Unless you accept our spiritual essence, how can you grasp the notion of the equality of all humanity? Surely it must rest on some intrinsic quality which lies beyond all the attributes the world sets such store upon.
‘We’re not all the same in the eyes of the world.’
I’ve come to the conclusion that much – maybe even all – of human suffering has its origin in a belief in inequality. That some people are inherently superior to others, and are therefore entitled to a greater share of the cake. Some glaring examples include slavery, genocide, colonisation, ethnic cleansing, and plain greed. It’s not hard to think of countless other injustices which have similar roots.
To what extent does my self-esteem – and hence my activity – rest on a belief in my superiority in some area of my life? Does my family lineage confer a degree of superiority? Is my religion superior to yours? Was my education superior to yours? My bank balance? My political party? My skin colour? My sexual orientation? The list is endless.
It’s hard to think of any kind of suffering or injustice which does not have its roots in the notion of superiority/inferiority. When I think about the other cornerstones of Quakerism, I feel that all of them would almost automatically come to pass were it not for the lack of equality. What lies behind the urge to lie if it’s not to do with affirming our superiority in some way? Consider the conflicts around our world: do they not have their origin in a belief in superiority/inferiority? Likewise the lack of simplicity and sustainability?
The big challenge in all of this lies in convincing those who don’t acknowledge the underlying spiritual essence of humanity just what equality truly means – and what a massive difference it would make to our existence. I’ve long felt that the problems of the world cannot be solved by politics or economics, and least of all by the military. They can only be solved by a deep spiritual awakening.
