Good Morning, My Dear Friends,
I assume it’s fair to say that no generation has possessed a greater accumulation of knowledge than ours. I read once that a regular weekday edition of The New York Times contains more information than a man living in 17th Century England would have amassed in his lifetime. This explosion of information is fueled by the Internet, Google, Wikipedia, and AI, and the power of the microchip can store massive amounts of knowledge while imparting it with lightning rapidity. But while amassing knowledge, are we at the same time growing in wisdom?
Spending lots of time behind the counselor’s desk has confronted me with the reality that, despite being highly trained, there exists a multitude of people who believe that life is meaningless. They yearn for a sense of purpose. They want to know if their struggles have a reason. They search for something to believe about life.
A few years ago, the Lily Foundation did a study of the great movements and causes that are prevalent in today’s culture. The study revealed that almost without exception, great movements and important causes have small beginnings. Someone gets an idea and stays with it until it gains momentum. The evidence of that study is clear. One person can always count for something.
You and I must make up our minds about the conclusion of that study. The choice is simple. We can believe that we are worthless and whatever gifts and talents we possess have no real value; or we can believe that, regardless of our limitations, we can make a remarkable difference in the lives of others. It’s a matter of faith — what we believe about ourselves.
About 200 years ago, a slave was sold from a ship anchored on the Mississippi River. The man showed no fright and carried himself with confidence and dignity. The auctioneer told the prospective buyers that the man was the son of an African king. “It will be hard,” he said, “to make him a slave.”
The auctioneer stated a basic truth. We live by what we believe ourselves to be. Either we are the victims of blind fate and can change nothing, or we are each the unique creation of God, who can use what we must to make a difference in the world. If we can learn to believe in ourselves — to believe that what we have is important and needed — life will be an exciting adventure.
One person can count for something,
Bruce Jones, Pastor
Imagine Church
