God made every person in His Image, and there is a unique gem in each of us
In light of Pope Francis’s August intentions for World Youth Day, I want to share with you something beautiful for all young people, many of whom were at this event in Lisbon, Portugal, earlier this month.
They have received many wonderful messages from Pope Francis, our beloved Holy Father. Although I did not attend the WYD, I did follow the significant events through YouTube and listened to the Holy Father sharing his insights with the young people through his sermons and speeches. I found them extremely valuable and believe what he said will become a wonderful guide for us in the near future, especially in our faith journey.
As for me, I have something dear to my heart that I would like to share with you. I remember reading a story once about a man who was exploring some caves by the seashore. He found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls in one of the caves.
It was like someone had rolled up some clay and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn’t look like much, but they intrigued the man so he took the bag out of the cave with him.
As he strolled along the beach to pass the time, he threw the clay balls one at a time out as far as he could into the ocean. He thought little about it until he dropped one of the balls on a rock and it cracked open. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone. Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure.
He found thousands of dollars’ worth of jewels in the 20 or so of the remaining clay balls he had not flung into the sea. Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time and had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasures into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have had tens of thousands had he not thrown away those clay balls.
Every person is wonderfully made by God
You know, sometimes it’s like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn’t look like much from the outside. It isn’t always beautiful or sparkling so we discount it. We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well-known or wealthy, instead of taking the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.
There is a treasure hidden in every one of us. We are wonderfully made. Not just our physical bodies, but our spiritual selves, which are sometimes hidden from others by the “earthen vessel.”
If we take the time to get to know that person and ask the Holy Spirit to show us that person the way He sees them, then the brilliant gem begins to shine forth. The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship. It is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with friendship.
Too often we don’t take the time to find the hidden treasures inside the people we meet. We are like the man who threw the 50 or 60 balls into the ocean, only to realise later he had thrown away riches he would otherwise treasured. This brings to mind the saying that I love, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Each one of us is truly God’s wonderful creation. He created everyone in His own image and endowed each person with unique abilities. Human dignity is no less than that of the gods as described in Psalm 8:2-10.
2 O LORD, our Lord,
how awesome is your name through all the earth!
I will sing of your majesty above the heavens
3 with the mouths of babes and infants.
You have established a bulwark against your foes,
to silence enemy and avenger.
4 When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars that you set in place—
5 What is man that you are mindful of him,
and a son of man that you care for him?
6 Yet you have made him little less than a god,
crowned him with glory and honour.
7 You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
put all things at his feet:
8 All sheep and oxen,
even the beasts of the field,
9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
10 O LORD, our Lord,
how awesome is your name through all the earth!
Psalm 8:2-10
In this extract of the Psalm, while marvelling at the limitless grandeur of God (Ps 8:2–3), the psalmist is struck first by the smallness of human beings in creation (Ps 8:4–5), and then by the royal dignity and power that God has graciously bestowed upon them (Ps 8:6–9).
The Beauty and the Beast
It reminds me of the story, The Beauty and the Beast, which was made into a marvellous movie and attracted countless viewers through the ages. The content of that film was inspired by the story with the theme, that only true and selfless love from a soul will have the extraordinary ability to transform a “monster” such as “the beast” into a handsome Prince.
It can be said that the vast majority of us have a hidden “monster” quality in our souls. All of these things need to be transformed into precious jewels and radiate a radiant light in order to reveal the inner beauty from the depths of our souls and for it to become a reality, each of us needs to be touched by true love and unconditional love in order to radically transform who we are. (See below about what is true and unconditional love)
That genuine and unconditional love comes first from God, who has loved mankind from all eternity, even before the creation of the universe, and that love has always been given to us through God’s beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh and dwelt among us.
Through Christ’s self-sacrificing love and through a tragic death on the cross, God’s only begotten Son shed his blood for the redemption of mankind and to atone for our sins.
He did this so that we might be reconciled to God, restored completely our old self and transform it into a new creation, thanks to the sanctifying and transforming power of the Holy Spirit given to us after His resurrection. This One conquered sin and death in order to free man and woman from sin and give us eternal life, living in glory and immortality in favour with God.
Secondly, true and unconditional love need to be received and given from people living in the same family, or in a parish or religious community, in an academic environment, at work place, among others. There is only true and unconditional love that can inspire and transform each of us into people who know how to live for others and are ready to commit themselves to selfless service.
I wish our young people to realize the beauty and nobility in the very heart of others, given by God Himself when He placed us in this universe, and I wish that beauty is like a precious jewel, will be shining every day through our good actions for others and through the authentic life that we live.
May God bless all our efforts and endeavours in the future journey.
What is the Difference Between True Love and Unconditional Love?
True love is a love that is based on mutual respect, trust, and understanding, and it is characterized by selfless devotion to the well-being of the other person, while unconditional love is a pure and selfless form of love that is given freely and without reservation, and it is not influenced by the other person’s flaws or imperfections.
These two types of love are similar as they both involve a deep and enduring affection for another person. However, there is a subtle difference between true love and unconditional love.
What is True Love
True love is a strong, deep, and enduring affection for another person. It is characterized by selfless devotion and a willingness to put the needs and happiness of the other person before one’s own. Moreover, it is a love that is unconditional. It is not based on superficial qualities or circumstances.
In today’s society, love tends to be superficial. Romantic love in modern relationships is usually based on attraction, infatuation, or a desire for companionship. It may be more self-centered and may be more easily influenced by negative feelings or circumstances.
However, true love is a rare and precious thing. It requires a great deal of effort and commitment to maintain. It is not always easy, but it is worth striving for.
What is Unconditional Love
Unconditional love is a type of love that is not dependent on any particular conditions or qualities in the loved one. It is a love that a person gives freely to another and without reservation and is not contingent on the loved one meeting certain expectations or standards. We generally associate unconditional love with a deep, abiding affection and a sense of caring and compassion for the loved one. It also involves acceptance, support, and a willingness to forgive. It is a love that is given without expectation of anything in return and is not influenced by the actions or behaviours of the loved one. Some people believe that unconditional love is the highest form of love, as it is.
