Thought for the Week

‘Could do better’ – words I, and unfortunately my mother, saw too often in my school report card. It always left me with a feeling of not being good enough. Instead of telling someone they could do better, I prefer to wonder how we might support them to be ‘the best version’ of themselves.

How can we be the best version of ourselves? For me, and for many followers of Christ, what is often referred to as The Sermon on the Mount is an excellent place to start, yet there is a short verse in Micah which says it all… Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God, (Micah 6:8).

Mercy, however, is not always something we are willing to offer. Some of us will find it easier to be merciful to the poor, the homeless, the immigrant, but not to the rich or the powerful and for others they will be find it easier to have mercy on the rich and the powerful, even when they are discovered to be lawbreakers, but have no mercy on the poor and vulnerable.

We need to be reminded that Jesus didn’t differentiate in our way. His vision, his love and mercy were and are, for all people. He mixed with the rich and the poor, he offered love to them all, the choice was theirs, to be the best version of themselves or not. I’m sure we ‘could do better’, but let’s just try to be the best possible version of ourselves.

Aileen Binner

Church of Scotland