A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a 100-peso bill. Before an audience of over 200, he asked: “Who would like this 100-peso bill?” Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this 100 pesos to one of you – but first, let me do this.”
He proceeded to crumple the 100-peso note up. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air.
“Well,” he replied, “what if I do this?” He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now, who still wants it?”
Still the hands went into the air. “My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still 100 pesos.” END OF STORY.
What’s the moral of the story? Certainly, not that we can be likened to money. But the important point is that, despite being crumpled and dirty, the 100-peso bill did not lose its value.
Same with us. Physically dirty or clean, ruggedly or finely dressed, rich or poor, weak or powerful, famous or not, we never lose our value of who we really are: specially and equally created by God.
We are not just a “human having” as to be defined only by what we have. Neither are we merely a “human doing” as to defined by our work, profession, or position. Verily, we are more than our “possessions and positions”. We are God’s greatest miracle, a human being.
We have been created equal as “human beings” – a being from one and the same God; a being with dignity and purpose; a being with physical body and spiritual soul; a being for self and for others; and a being who is worthy of a meaningful and satisfying life.
By virtue of God’s creation, we are naturally good or have been created equally good by God. From the point-of-view of God’s creation, nobody is a junk. Homo est naturaliter bonum. Man is naturally good.
By our divine origin, we are completely loved by God. Even without us knowing or feeling it, or us ignoring or transgressing his love – God loved us FIRST unconditionally, whatever it takes or no matter what.
Have peace, and God bless you ever more!