The world is full of measurements, league tables, performance indicators.
Whether it is a school, or a doctor, or any public service, they have to prove their worth. Adverts, social media, films all tell us we must meet certain standards to be acceptable. Everything and everyone has to measure up.
At this stage in the year we may have already broken those New Year resolutions we made to eat healthier, get fitter, socialise better, etc. And then it’s easy to beat ourselves up because we’ve failed – again!
The story of the baptism of Jesus reveals a very different approach. A voice comes down from heaven and says to Jesus, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.’ (Luke 3.22) Jesus had not done anything at that stage. No miracles, no teaching, nothing extraordinary. All he had done was live an ordinary life as a carpenter. And yet, God was pleased with him. Jesus may be the Son of God, but he needed those words of affirmation and unconditional love as he began his public ministry.
The worth of a human being does not rest on what they achieve. It rests on the fact that they are loved by God. Knowing this sets us free to pursue those things which enhance life. Knowing that each person we meet is loved unconditionally by God, irrespective of their past achievements, can transform how we treat them. For each has the potential, given the right conditions, to be the best version of the unique person they are.
Rhona Floate,
White Horse Team
