A key question in theology for any religion is how do humans relate to God and to one another?

We know that we were fearfully and wonderfully made by God. We are creatures, not the Creator, but unlike the rest of creation, we were made in God’s own image to love and be loved.

That is who we are – beloved children, called by name, wanted, accepted, important.

Revel in that love, to be sure.

Then remember the other key part of this description of who we are as humans: it applies to every other person on this planet.

Each other human is just as loved, wanted, accepted, and important to God. No one is excluded from the list.

So how do we relate to one another?

Most importantly by remembering this key truth. If every other person is loved by God, then no one is expendable. No one is better than another. No one matters more than any another. We are all equally beautiful, wonderful, and essential.

Put this another way: life is not all about you. It’s not all about your family or your success or your schedule or your worldview.

Life is about the ways we live into our God-given identity by loving others, making connections, and creating new opportunities for full-life in all.

In light of everything that is happening around us, the two things I want you to always keep at the front of your mind are these: you are loved by God but so is everyone else. So act accordingly and as though their lives are just as valuable as yours. Because they are.