Difficult economic times are stressful. One of the most stressful times is when one is unemployed, looking for work straight out of college, retired but needing supplemental income, or being laid off or furloughed. So much of society values us based on what we do for a living or our economic status, fortunately God doesn’t.
When no one wants to hire you, one can’t help but feel devalued. I work with former prisoners who face 45,000 laws on the books that restrict their ability to work. I know many people who are forced into retirement or can’t find a job because of their age, and know so many people with college degrees who remain in minimum wage jobs or fast food service jobs because work is simply not available.
A friend of mine who is now disabled is home alone every day because he cannot work. He has worked since he was fourteen years old, and now in his late 60’s finds himself with nothing to do during his day. Despite the economic hardship, loneliness, and depression that naturally flows from such a circumstance, what he really wants is to work — something to do during the day. Why? He believes that then he has value.
I speak from personal experience when I say that the human spirit can handle just about anything, except when we believe we no longer have value. One of the most painful tortures one can experience is when one is made to believe he/she no longer has value.
So I suggest during Lent that each of us spend a little bit of time remembering one of God’s great truths — we, every person on this earth regardless of age, sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. has value in the eyes of the Lord, in fact no one is more valuable than another. Second spend a little bit of time spreading the word — there are a lot of people who need to hear God’s message to us all — We are valuable in the eyes of God.
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