By Nancy Patrick

On July 20, 2025, Dr. Matt Cook, my interim pastor at the time, preached a sermon that has bothered me ever since hearing it. I read the passage from Jeremiah 12 repeatedly during the sermon and have continued reading it and looking up commentary on it.

I’m not sure why the topic of unfairness has troubled me so much, but thinking about life’s perplexities has exceedingly riled my spirit. I suppose I shouldn’t focus on it because it makes me question so many of society’s realities.

Becky Tucker, the children’s minister at First Baptist Church, had actually asked the children during their sermon if they had ever said, “That’s not fair!” Not only did the kids raise their hands but just about every adult in the pews joined them. Life is not fair.

Jeremiah became extremely upset when he conversed with God in chapter 12 of his book. He had discovered a plot to kill him because he preached against practices of the Hebrew leadership who took offense at his brazenness. 

In 12:1, Jeremiah begins his approach to God by acknowledging that although God’s judgments usually appear right and just, Jeremiah says he does want to discuss the topic of unfairness as he sees it in his life.

Jeremiah saw what we see every day across the world. He saw evil people prospering and manipulating people and circumstances with impunity. At the same time, he saw good people suffering through no fault of their own and often because of the actions of the evil people. 

I won’t list the names of “evil” people who reside in my own mind, but you can form your own list for the purposes of understanding the passage from Jeremiah. He doesn’t mention specific occupations, but he does imply that the evil ones to whom he refers are wealthy, powerful, merciless, greedy people who enjoy their luxurious, easy lives without worrying about those less fortunate.

I think most of us can think of notorious cases of injustice. Sometimes in third world countries where the majority of the people live in squalor, we see their rulers living in magnificent homes, wearing expensive clothing, driving luxury vehicles, and eating delicacies.

We also know of legal cases in which wealthy, influential people who can afford the sharpest lawyers have walked away from their trials with verdicts of “not guilty.” At times these verdicts resulted from legal maneuverings and loopholes in the law to which a public defender may not have been savvy. 

Jeremiah asks God why he lets these people off the hook—why do they not suffer for their wrongdoings? God’s answer may not seem comforting to you; it certainly gave me pause. God basically tells Jeremiah that what he currently experiences cannot be compared to what the future may hold. 

He says, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in a safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” What does that mean? I think it means that life for righteous people will be hard, sometimes very hard. In other words, horses represent stronger and more powerful forces than men on foot. 

One thing God doesn’t seem to tell his children is, “It’s okay. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure they don’t hurt you.” On the contrary, God says the evil ones who have disobeyed his commands will be uprooted and scattered without a home, but not until the enemies have wreaked havoc on God’s people.

Even after all that happens, God tells Jeremiah that he will give these people another chance to repent and become part of his family. In verse 17, the Lord declares, “But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it.”

That brings me back to the question of fairness. I don’t think it’s fair to give these evil people yet another chance to redeem themselves and pay for their wickedness. The problem, as I see it, relates to my human nature that wants fairness, that seeks revenge, that wants to inflict pain on those who have wronged me.

The issue of fairness is almost completely subjective. What seems fair to one person may appear unjust to another. My husband explains it this way: “Much of what we consider unfair comes through consequences of choices. If we make a choice which has a consequence we do not like, that doesn’t make the consequence unfair. What makes life unfair is that we have to live with the consequences of other people’s choices. Life is unfair for all of us…more for some than others.”

This truth blights my soul. It tests my faith.

Nancy Patrick is a retired teacher who lives in Abilene and enjoys writing