I think it was because I was listening to Katy Perry on a run. Now while running often makes me think I might die, that wasn't it. Perry was singing about what she would do if she had one day left to live.
And I thought, if I died, if I had one day left to live... then what?
I thought- I'd write something. I thought, I would tell my friends that what I wanted most for them would be that they'd consider Jesus. I would want to say- your response to Jesus matters! I'd say what I could so that anyone who knew me might throw aside anything that kept them from taking Him seriously, that they'd pick up that gospel at last or chat to that Christian or talk to God, I'd say what I could so that if they'd known pain from me they might know healing from Him, that if they'd known goodness through me they'd see Him as its ultimate Source.
This got me thinking, as these thought processes often do, about whether it really mattered if I existed at all. You know, if all of my love is just the love of Jesus, then why me!? Had I just obliterated my own significance out if existence? Well, thanks for nothing Katy Perry! (I think the song had finished by now!).
My conclusion was this: each human is so inexpressibly precious. My individuality matters.
Because we are each image bearers. Made in the image of God; made to reflect something of his likeness. And we hear it so many times it can just bounce off our foreheads. But really it could blow our minds!
The wonder of it is that every human has some unique way of reflecting the image of God to the world: there is a way I will reflect Jesus that is unique to me, a way you will that is unique to you. Isn't it staggering that we are all so different!? So different! And because of our uniqueness we are precious.
Despite what some church stages might look like, Jesus isn't interested in creating an army of clones. He isn't saying "I am the source of love so none of your love matters." It's more like, "my love is so diverse every image bearer can reflect it uniquely!" He wants individuals.
In fact, he wants to make you the you-est, truest version of you there is, (and me, but you worked better with those words!) to have his glory shine out from you! Especially you. It's not that he wants to make us less us but MORE us! A balloon is more of a balloon with air in it. Individuals are more individual with God in them. (This might not be the strongest image in this post but it's 11.26pm and it's going in!).
Each person is an image bearer. And each person is different. And each person is dearly loved. And each person can uniquely reflect the love and generosity of God. That diversity is to his absolute glory!
That's why it matters when someone dies. The world isn't filled with 7 billion people who are all the same. Every single person is a precious, unique, wonderful creation, made to bear witness to a precious, unique, wonderful Creator in a precious, unique, wonderul way! If the Creator made you to show his craftsmanship, could you matter more!?
Van Gogh painted 2000 pieces, but if we learnt that there was one hidden at the back of a cupboard in Arles, would we shrug and say "isn't our collection big enough?" No! We would be clambering to get a glimpse! The genius of the Creator gives the piece its value! We'd be like, "Hello artwork!? Get out the cupboard, you are van Gogh's workmanship!"
Now I've got to the stage where I am standing in a fictional cupboard, talking to fictional artwork, I should probably begin to wrap up.
All this brings me full circle.
Your response to Jesus matters. My response to Jesus matters!
Jesus leaves the 99 sheep to get the one.
Each human is a masterpiece; a masterpiece broken; a masterpiece that could be restored.
And each human matters.
I matter.
You matter.
You were made to bear the image of your loving Creator. Made in his image in way no one else was. No one can bear His image in the identical way to you. He has crafted you so that your very you-ness might speak of Him.