Introductions

Consider how you introduce yourself to someone new. In many cultures, we begin with our name, then describe ourselves based on what we feel brings us the most value or how we wish others would see us. For example, a man may say, “Hi, I’m Mike. I have attended this church for forty-two years and helped rebuild that balcony support when it fell a few years back.” Another might say, “I’m Jack. I am the principal at the high school.” Or a young woman might introduce herself this way: “I’m Valerie, and I am a doctoral candidate in the veterinarian department.” In these examples, the people all said their name and their job title or some major accomplishment for which they want to be known. By way of contrast, God values us before we do anything. He would introduce Mike, Jack, and Valerie as his dearly loved children—who they are is more important than what they do.