Letter from Clare
We seem in our world today to be obsessed with League Tables, of every size sort and variety, whether it be in Education, Local Government Social Services or the Health Service. In some respects this is not a bad thing, but they can become the be all and end all, or at least it seems that way.
Children often ask the question “which one is the best?” and you can’t always answer that question. Is an apple better than an orange or a mango? You may like one more than the other, but none is “best”. It’s a false question.
I listened to the final of The Young Musician of the Year, superb performances from all those chosen, not least the 11 year pianist. It caused me to ponder about why we so often bring this element of competition into life. Why we do we think dominance is so important?. One of the competitors, a 16-year-old flautist, commented that he was playing not in the spirit of competition, but of festival, and I appreciated his words and his maturity. The music those young people made was beautiful and I wanted simply to rejoice in its beauty.
There is no competitive edge in the Christian faith, the strongest is the weak, the precedence is turned upside down. St Paul in referring to true and noble things, lovely things, asks us to “fill all your thoughts with them”. It’s an attitude that adds a quality to life that competitiveness never can. There’s no Top Ten in righteousness. WE SHARE IN HIS KINGDOM, NOT BY BEING BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE, BUT BECAUSE HE LOVES US. And he does that equally whoever we are.
Clare