THE  BIG  SCREAM: 

“IT’S  NOT  FAIR!”

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 20^th Wednesday in Ordinary Time  is, “The Big Scream: ‘It’s Not Fair!’”

I WONDER

At times I’ve wondered: Is the big scream coming out of every gripe, every depression, every angry person, every child, every family, marriage,  every person: “It’s not fair”?

At family gatherings - like every year I spend 4 or 5 days at Thanksgiving with my brother’s girls and their families - I watch actions and reactions.

Kids eat first. Then the adults. While we're eating the kids disappear into various nooks and rooms and floors of the house they rent. The last few years it’s been at Virginia Beach - Sandbridge - on the ocean. Before that it was an Rehoboth and before that Deep Creek Lake. After the adults eat comes dessert. Somehow every kid arrives very quickly after the ice cream and brownies and pies and cakes are placed on the counter.

That’s when I really watch.

That’s where I first started to wonder if a kids’ basic scream is, “It’s not fair.”

I wonder if I screamed that scream: “It’s not fair.”

I’m the youngest of four - so I don’t know if the youngest is at the biggest disadvantage.

I wonder if our nation’s families - our world’s families - are losing out - by having smaller families.

I wonder if the question of fairness comes up more often in bigger families than smaller families - because there many more moments for comparisons. 

I also wonder if a bigger family helps a person resolve the fairness question better than being in a family with less brothers and sisters.

Was having one bathroom a better teaching possibility?  In fact, is the bathroom in a one bathroom house,  the best classroom in the house - because it offers the most moments to think of others.

ADULTS

Does the question of fairness continue longer - even all life long - for some folks?

Is the issue behind every whine - the “It’s not fair!” scream.

Obviously some cars - some homes - some salaries - some seats in church or a restaurant - are better than others.

I don’t know about you, but I am glad I was born in Brooklyn compared to Bagdad. And there’s a town there in Ohio between Lima where I lived and Paulding where I did a bit of work - that I’m glad I never lived in the in between town.

When it comes to music, I have a tin ear. When it comes to ability to draw, I am still a baby with crayons - doing scribble and stick figures.

Not everybody has the same skills, skin, figure, family than the next person.

So what about the “It’s not fair!” question.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Does the Parable of the Generous Landlord in today's gospel [Matthew 20:1-16]  help with this question?

He needs laborers for his vineyard so he starts hiring at dawn - and they workers and owner agree for the usual daily wage.

He spots other laborers at 9 AM, noon, 3 and then 5 o’clock. Each time he hires them to work in his vineyard.

At the end of the day - when he starts handing out the daily wage - he starts with those he hires at 5 PM and gives them the usual daily wage - so too those he hired at 3, noon, 9 AM and at dawn.

Seeing that, those who worked a lot more expected a lot more.

They all get the same piece of the pie.

 Not fair. Not fair. Not fair.

DAVID

We have a family story about my brother.

He stopped in to see his buddy Marty - who was playing ping pong with his youngest son, David.  

My brother says to David, “Let me see what kind of ping pong paddle you have?”

The little kid hands the paddle to my brother who then moves to the table and says to Marty, “Three over for serve.”

And David screams, “That’s not fair. I was playing with my dad first.”

And my brother says to David, “Kid, let me teach you one of life’s greatest learnings, ‘Who said life is fair?’ Three over for serve, Marty.”

David told that story at my brother’s funeral and we all laughed - but we all got the message - especially that of my brother dying of melanoma at 51.

CONCLUSION

What is the conclusion?

What is the lesson?

What is the message?

Jesus says to the disgruntled whiners, “I didn’t cheat you. I gave you the usual daily wage.

Am I not free to do as I wish with my money

Are you envious because I am generous.

Hey, the last shall be first and the first shall be last.

“Hey, God, that’s not fair.”