“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:43-45
“The righteousness of God is a kind of universal fairness and equality. There is equality in the heaven which is stretched out in all directions and contains the entire earth in its circle. The night reveals equally all the stars. The light of the sun, which is the cause of the daytime and the father of light, God pours out from above upon the earth in equal measure on all who have power to see. For all see alike.
There is no distinction between rich and poor, people and governor, stupid and clever, female and male, free men and slaves. Even the irrational animals are not accorded any different treatment; but in just the same way God pours out from above sunlight equally upon all the animals. He establishes his righteousness to both good and bad by seeing that none is able to get more than his share and to deprive his neighbor, so that he has twice the light his neighbor has. The sun causes food to grow for all living beings alike; the universal righteousness is given to all equally.
In this respect there is no difference between the entire species of oxen and any individual oxen, between the species of pigs and particular pigs, between the species of sheep and particular sheep, and so on with all the rest. In them the universality of God’s fairness is manifest. Furthermore all plants of whatever sort are sown equally in the earth. Common nourishment grows for all beasts which feed on the earth’s produce; to all it is alike. It is regulated by no law, but rather is harmoniously available to all through the gift of Him who gives it and makes it to grow.”
Clement of Alexandria (c.150-c.215) in The Stromata, or Miscellanies, 3.2.6.
God supplies for humanity with a universal fairness and equality. He gives and gives and gives. We as humans in our fallen state, aim (in the words of Clement) to get more than our share and to deprive our neighbor. We take and take and take.
This week through multiple events, we aim to grow Christian generosity in Hong Kong. On Monday, our focus relates to resources. God connected GTP with Breakthrough, a publisher of Christian books and resources for more than 50 years.
We will discuss collaborating on various projects in the years ahead to strengthen Chinese Christians in general and the next generation in particular. Let me explain how this relates to today’s post and the Stromata authored by Clement.
Clement wrote the Stromata to help people know how to live the Christian life. That’s why Breakthrough publishes resources for Chinese followers of Christ. But Breakthrough wants GTP’s help to grow accountability and generosity in churches.
Clement, if he were part of our conversations, would likely say to teach people to look at the clouds and see that God supplies rain with universal fairness and equality. He would say look at the stars. They give light to everyone.
He might even quote today’s Scripture from the Sermon on the Mount. Why do I mention all this? If we serve a God that gives and gives and gives in a world where people take and take and take, we must model generosity teach the next generation to live differently.
They will do what we do, not what we say. How you might teach the next generation today about the universal fairness and equality of God? Then lead by example. Show them what He has supplied to you and how you might give it to benefit your neighbor.