You can go to People Magazine for coverage of the famous ones, and there’s Instagram nowadays, not to mention many other ways. They call them VIPs, but I’ve always considered that to mean “Very Important Puppies,” such as the Basenjis, Kili, and Jaro. The lives of ordinary folks, we only learn about if we happen to be in their spheres. Most of us know and admire some of these human beings. They have interesting stories. In fact, many have important stories that shaped them and influenced people around them, including ourselves.
We don’t usually know how our stories may positively affect the people around us. Yet, part of having faith in a benevolent Creator, who values each of us, should help us sense that we do matter more than we know.
In future posts, I will bring some of these stories to the web, with short biographical sketches of real people who are neither rich nor famous. They are merely interesting!
Have you ever been in a crowd and wondered, “Where do all these people come from?” Wouldn’t a sight like the following photo of a street in Barcelona cause even a Christian to ask, “Can God really care about every one of these creatures?”
Can every one of these people have real value? Can they have stories worth telling?
We must try not to judge ourselves, holding up our self-image against others who seem to have succeeded in life, found great spouses, attained prestigious jobs, raised successful kids, and been highly respected by many people. The Creator knows our value, and to compare and judge ourselves is thinking like humans, not like God.
It must be a lucky personality type who can not compare themselves to anyone else and not care what people think. For myself, I explain that my name is Daniel, which means, “God is my judge,” and implies that you aren’t, nor anyone else.
The Creator probably wants a relationship with his creatures more than he wants them to accomplish things. Such a relationship would entail prayer, which does not require stopping whatever you are doing, sitting down with folded hands, and closing eyes. I suspect he wants to hear how we are feeling, while on the run, and to hear about both our worries and joys. Yet, I suspect he is not much into being a cosmic bellhop. God is very wary of doing things that make his existence obvious because he wants us to live by faith. The universe runs on laws that he ordained from the beginning, and he is glorified by its evolution, even as things seem not to work how we’d prefer.
For example, getting cancer is no fun. A Christian might think the merciful, all-powerful God would heal, if asked. The Creator might prefer that the dying person commune with him through prayer, sharing the experience, lamenting, and praying to receive comfort for self and for those who are about to lose a loved one. This is a hard road, and I cannot say I would be so brave as to meet the challenge with such equanimity. The worst way to see it is to believe that our healing depends on the quantity of our faith. This only blames the victim. We are extremely mistaken if we think God twiddles his thumbs, waiting to see if enough faith is demonstrated or if enough people ask.
The Creator knows how small we are, how insignificant. Yet, each of us is his unique creation. “God don’t make no trash,” as the saying goes. This sentiment was attributed to the great black jazz singer, Ethel Waters (1896-1977), who said,
I know I’m somebody ’cause God made me and God don’t make no junk.
His eye is on all of us sparrows.
Coming soon: the first biographic sketch of a real person.