DOES MY BUM LOOK BIG IN THIS?
These days there seems to be a never ending stream of make over programs where members of the general public and some times celebrities are humiliated by so call fashion gurus, before being given a complete make over that is promised to change their lives.
The most well know of these is 'What Not To Wear', originally presented by Triny and Suzanna. The first part of the humiliation involves the victim, sorry candidate standing in a 360 degree mirror room to make sure they know just how awful they are.
For many people this is there perception of the Christian faith and church. That it is an organisation that wants to constantly remind people of how awful they actually are and then tell them how they should live there lives.
However this is not what we find in the Gospels, Jesus in his teachings makes clear time and time again that God loves us and wants us to be happy whole human beings.
Many of us as well as wanting to change or physical appearance also wish they could change something about their inner being. Just like the clothes we wear we are often adapt at hiding that which we may not like about our true selves.
The reality of the Gospel is, it is the world and not Jesus that forces us to stand in that 360 degree mirror room as we often feel forced to comply with how others think we should be. Jesus on the other hand simply says 'you are beloved' he wants us to know that we are loved for who we are unconditionally. He also wants us to learn to love and accept ourselves for who we are, for we will only truly be able to love others if we can love our selves first. Not in the selfish material way of the modern world but in the unselfish unconditional love of a parent and child.
At Easter we give thanks for this love. We accept that we are not perfect and ask that through this love we may be transformed by learning to love and accept ourselves and by so doing learning to love others.
Blessings
Richard Hancock [Vicar]
