My dad is a pastor and has often preached on this parable, and others like it, as it demonstrates how God loves all people. Just as the coin had the same value when in the woman’s pocket as it did when it was lost, so our value is constant. It isn’t determined by any defining characteristics or any life choice but by who we are as a creation and child of God. Humans have designated value based on appearance or achievement, not God. This value goes beyond the bullying we perpetuate in everyday life to those who are living their lives to perpetuate evil into the world.
This truth hit home for me this weekend as I lost my wedding rings. I cannot find them. I have looked constantly everywhere throughout my house and have yet to find them. They cannot be replaced even if I had the money to do so because those were the rings given to me by my husband in our engagement and on our wedding day. They are more than just the gold and diamonds that comprise them. I have become distracted from all else as I seek to find them.
God is allowing my own challenge to illuminate a very important issue. As I see what is happening in Aleppo and all over Syria, my heart breaks. I live a charmed life and have no clue what it must be like to live in a constant state of threat and fear. I have been in some scary situations in my life but nothing even close to reality, today in Syria. It hit me, even though there are billions of people on planet earth, God loves each of us so much that none of us can be replaced. We see a sea of people and designate value based on how they compare to our lives, but God created each one with purpose and value and seeks their best regardless of the circumstances. He is heartsick over his people who are wayward or mistreated.
God made those people and loves them as much as he loves me. He loves those who are creating hell and those who are living in it. We were all made by him. We may not be killers, but in our country we are guilty if we live our lives focused on us and forget what others are facing. We have responsibility for helping our neighbor.
We need to pray and fight for our friends and family, we need to be inconvenienced enough to step in to help the helpless. We need to have a passion for others equal to my passion to find my rings.
Where is our passion for people? Have we lost it in our own complacent living? As long as we have what we need and even want and can be entertained by our distractions of choice, all is well? This is unacceptable. I am not against enjoying life but most Americans don’t have balance between caring for others as much as we care for ourselves. If there were balance, our world would look much different.
About 7 years ago while in Thailand, my group gave money to our guide to help cover his expenses for the day. He didn’t have much and needed that money for himself, yet at each stop we made, he would give some of the money we’d given him to someone in a worse situation than himself. He had a heart for others. It was beautiful and convicting.
Is there someone that needs something from you? Is there a sacrifice you can make? Is there someone you’ve ascribed value to that is less than what they deserve? Move toward balance and demonstrate self-less kindness for the betterment of someone else.
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