What Is the Worth of a Person

On Tuesday I conducted the funeral for a long-time friend. My friend was profoundly developmentally delayed. He was not able to talk. His care givers had to clean him after a trip to the bathroom. He could, however, communicate. Often when he saw you, he would laugh as he touched your face or body and then he would clap his hands and jump up and down. He was abandoned by his birth parents. He became a foster child and later some folks in our Church became his guardians after even his extended family would have nothing to do with him. I do not believe that God had anything to do with whatever caused his developmental disabilities. To believe such a lie only makes God an evil reality. I do know that God makes use of individuals such as my friend, as well as my brother, and many others to reveal a person’s value or worth has absolutely nothing to do with their abilities, education, family, money, etc. Everyone is of great value and worth and is a child of God to be valued. It is only this world (a world full of evil) that tries to make one individual worth more than another. That valuing is usually determined by how important or helpful that person is to whoever is making the value judgement. Such an attitude is not only egotistical; it is evil. The judgements of valuing or determining someone’s worth is a reality in this unredeemed world. We may be healthy, good citizens, productive Christians, etc., but we are also a long way away from God’s Kingdom