The World is Better With You
I was tired when I went to Walmart this morning. I had washed some dishes, mowed the lawn, and done some other things before 10 AM. Walking out of the store, I saw a man in front of me wearing a black sweatshirt with a message that began, “Dear Person Behind Me ….” I immediately thought, “Great, another one of THOSE shirts. It’ll tell me to social distance, not get too close, or describe the inestimable worth of the person wearing it and how I probably need to worship them.”
Three milliseconds later, I felt pretty stupid. But I also felt much better about myself because the rest of the message said:
“The world is a better place with you in it.
– The Person in Front of You.”
What a welcome relief in a world that has grown increasingly selfish and self-centered! It seems like empathy is withering away in our society. That’s a shame because the Bible makes it clear that people hold supreme value. Not only does God praise all of creation—including humanity—as “very good” (Genesis 1:31), Jesus says that his Father is intimately concerned about his creation (Matthew 10:31). Our world often determines our value by what we can accomplish, contribute, or produce. The Bible values us because we’re made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27).
Passages describing various aspects of salvation often bring out the worth of each individual. The apostle Paul says that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). One of the most famous passages in the Bible flatly states, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Elsewhere, Paul makes it clear that not only does God value his creation, he was willing to pay for our redemption, no matter the cost. He reminds the Corinthians, “you were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
As I got in my car, I regretted not stopping to thank the stranger wearing that shirt. Compassion, empathy, and kindness are exceedingly precious in our world. With that in mind, let me say this:
Dear Person Reading This Post,
The world is a better place with you in it.
– Dewayne
