My sons come home from the recreation center, visibly upset. “We played a game. We had to give ourselves a prize. And me, they said I was worth… one euro. That’s all. “ I am stunned and immediately phone the recreation center. The host explains to me that the game wanted to imitate the teleshopping shows in which the merits of a particular product are praised. The idea was that the children present the qualities of their friends. “But we made a mistake, he admits. We should have stopped the game before we put any prizes. “ He apologizes and promises to tell the group the next day that a human being is priceless.
One of my sons continues, whispering, visibly upset: “ Me, it reminded me of Joseph sold into slaves by his brothers in Egypt… ” So we are talking about slavery, which is still going on, for example in Libya. And I ask the question: “Can we assess the value of a human being? “ Personally, I believe so, but the defect that must be used is that of infinity. We are worth what others are willing to pay for us. And what is the “price” that God “paid” for us? The life of his own Son. The very worth of Christ. It is not measured in money or in objects of exchange, but in love, and the price paid is infinite.
My sons sometimes draw an intertwined heart in the mathematical symbol of infinity. Thus, they represent both God, their relationship to God, and their own worth. Teaching our children the infinitely precious cost of all life – theirs, the lives of their friends, or even the lives of others they don’t like – is the ultimate challenge I have tried to meet. the continuation of this game having slipped at the leisure center.
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