Whose we are

It is difficult today to shut out the negative messages about who is deemed worthy in the eyes of society and one’s peers. With the ever-growing presence of social media, the act of bullying is now taken to another level, and a youth cannot just avoid these negative messages by sitting at a different lunch table at school, cancelling cable and skipping her trip to the convenience store magazine rack.

It is not easy for a young person to maintain a sense of self-worth when so many loud, unavoidable voices are proclaiming that one’s value is based on clothing or body shape, academic achievements or household income, ethnicity or country of origin, sexual orientation or gender identity. It is also not easy to maintain a sense of self-worth as an adult.

When the negative voices around us are so loud, we can look to 1 John 3:1-2 to remember who we are and whose we are.

This message was adapted from “Faith reflections: Beloved and wonderfully made” written by Emily Heitzman in the February 2016 issue of Cafe.