By playing a game where the viewers are destined to lose, fairness and justice are explained.

This video was originally aired as part of a June 3, 2020 online worship service at my church. You can view the video within the context of the full worship service at http://www.chumc.org.

I like to play games, so today I have a game to play with everyone. It’s called, “The Winner is…” In this game, I’ll give an instruction, and whoever can follow it first is the winner and gets a point! Ready?

Okay. Raise your hand if you have a toy skunk behind your back right now. (I raise my hand and show the skunk.) Oh, wow! It looks like the winner is…me! I get one point.

I’ll give one point to the first person who takes a plastic banana out of their jacket pocket. (Take banana out of pocket.) Oh, look! The winner is…me! I get another point. Now I have two points.

Wait, what? Someone out there claims to have taken a plastic banana out of their jacket pocket. Well, I didn’t see it, so it doesn’t count.

But just because I’m a good sport, I’ll give ten points to the winner of this next challenge. Raise your hand if your name is Ms. Marcia and you are the Director of Family Ministry at Colonial Hills United Methodist Church. (Look around.) I guess the winner is…me! Ten more points. Now I have twelve points. And you have, um, zero. I win!

Okay, wait. This wasn’t a good game, was it? I made the rules so that I would win. You didn’t have a chance to be successful. That wasn’t fair to you.

I wonder how you felt when you played this game. Pretty crummy, I’ll bet. Frustrated? Mad?

I wanted to show you that sometimes in our world, people have ridiculous ideas about who wins and who loses, and not everyone has the same chance to be successful. But the Bible tells us that God wants us to have justice. Sometimes we call that fairness.

As followers of Jesus, we can stand up when others are being treated unfairly. We can say something if others are being picked on or when the rules don’t give everyone a chance. We can treat others the way we want to be treated. We can love other people because they matter to God.

No one should feel that their voices aren’t heard or their grief isn’t noticed or their love isn’t real.

Justice for all. That is our prayer.

No one should feel that their voices aren’t heard or their grief isn’t noticed or their love isn’t real.

Questions:

What was behind Ms. Marcia’s back?

1. a toy raccoon
2. a toy skunk
3. a real skunk

Why was this NOT a good game?

1. Everyone didn’t have the same chance to succeed.
2. Ms. Marcia designed the game so only she could win.
3. It wasn’t fair.
4. all of the above

What might someone feel when they are in a situation they can’t win?

1. frustrated
2. mad
3. both 1 and 2

How can we show justice?

1. Stand up for others if they are treated unfairly.
2. Tell people you don’t care about them.
3. Say something when rules don’t give everyone a chance.
4. 1 and 3

Who does God love?

1. only people who think like me
2. only people who look like me
3. everyone

(Answers: 2, 4, 3, 4, 3)