KEEPING OUR INDIVIDUALTY

Individuality is core to God’s view of man. God tells us that he knows even the numbers of hairs upon our head. Further he tells us that we are his sons and daughters. How personal is a relationship that even the most mundane of details is important? Is this not like the intimacy between husband and wife? Does this not show that God views us as unique creatures with aspirations and goals specific to our time and place?

The need to treat every one individually is both the cornerstone of our democracy and the key to “fairness before the law”. Justice, which calls for blindness to mans differences before the law, allows us to know that both the law is not capricious and that no man is above the law. It is this very foundation of equality in treatment that allows each man to be an individual and to pursue his life as he sees fit. Without the fear of those powers above oneself, one can pursue those talents, goals, and passions that make us unique.

God intended that each man have life and to have it more abundantly. This abundance is found in the knowledge of our unique gifting and freedom to pursue it. As we hold each other up to find what God intends for us to discover, we also create an environment whereby we can afford to let others flourish. Fear, the restraining of individuality, is what holds both societies and individuals from developing all that God intended.

Thus, societies, governments and institutions that do not value the individual will ultimately fail because they suppress those relationships which are built on the strengths of each member. One of the greatest institutions to understand this dichotomy is the Unites States Marine Corps. They see that a team, to be effective, must be built of many different skills and talents and yet function as one body. The grueling nature of there training is to not only coordinate activities, but to build respect between the members of the team for the high value that all members of the team play in carrying out there mission regardless of rank or function. That is why “no man left behind” is critical to the cohesiveness of the unit. It says that all men, though not equal in talent, are equal in inherent value to the unit. Likewise, I see that each person must be valued as a member of society, not for there equal contribution, but equality in value to society.

As soon as society distinguishes between persons based on value of contribution, there comes into play the inherent likelihood that societal members will begin to view contribution in concrete terms like income, wealth or power, and discard values like compassion, helping of others or knowledge. We cannot stop society from these thoughts personally, but we can avoid institutionalizing these thoughts in government by using principles, as found in our constitution, that ensure equal treatment before the law.