For Christmas, we gave our middle grandson a world globe. It provides a wonderful adventure for exploring our planet, its rotation, national boundaries, time zones, longitude, latitude, land, and seas. Indeed, it is a colorful spherical graphic of our home in the grandest sense, a three-dimensional resource for learning – at his fingertips. There is no touch screen, no batteries. It does not light up. It simply teaches at a glance: geography, human society, climate, and more. It is also a depiction of God’s creation.
“Yours are the heavens, yours the earth; you founded the world and everything in it.” (Psalm 89:12)
We have just begun the First Week of Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Calendar. I think, given the challenges our world faces at present, we long for “ordinary times.”
The pandemic has presented us with anxiety and suffering. Perhaps it has also reminded us that globally, we are one human family enduring the same human struggle.
Whenever I see a photo of earth from space, I am moved by its beauty and the thought that it is my home. There is something majestic about this traveling sphere – the earth as a rotating, revolving garden, moving in time and space, created by God and populated by His beloved sons and daughters.
Diversity of nations, culture, and heritage are dimensions of human society that we value, respect, and celebrate. We celebrate our differences as we share a common humanity.
As a child, I saw other people, even my classmates, for how they were different from me, whether in appearance, ability, or opinions. I realize now how much we had in common, how wonderfully valuable and lovable they all were.
We can acquire a better perspective with the help of teachers, mentors, family, and friends – with God’s help. Over time, I learned to appreciate the fundamental human dignity that God confers on us all. We reflect His image. Jesus teaches us that we have one Father.
We hope the globe will encourage our grandson to expand his perspective, to think globally – humanly – and with the eyes of faith, to think lovingly.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
In the early days of this New Year, let our family prayer seek God’s perspective, His loving presence within the whole human family.