I was given a Lego kit for Christmas a few years ago and had a delightful Boxing Day, building a truck, some industrial shelving and a forklift truck helped by my grandson who seemed to be a natural Lego expert and we had a great time, and the result was very satisfying.
The last three years at work have been extremely stressful and time and time again, I have found Lego to be a great help in attempting to forget the issues that have taken over my life and simply to relax and build the kits, I feel that I have discovered a therapy that works for me. As people have learned about my new interest, I seem to have acquired kits for birthday and Christmas presents and we now have a display of over thirty five models, I have even bought some for my grandson and we have added to his collection, it is lovely to have found something that can inspire grandad and grandson alike and I am indebted to the people at Lego for inventing this wonderful pastime.
As I reflect on my collection of models, I think that there is an important lesson for life in these plastic wonders. Unpacking a box for the first time, I am confronted with plastic bags filled with coloured components all different shapes, colours, and sizes. I like to spread them out on a table in front of me and then follow the directions to the letter, ensuring that every piece ends up in the correct place. There is a time, when it is difficult to see how they will ever appear looking anything like the image on the front of the box, but as each piece is put in place, the model gradually takes on the expected form. Invariably, the last items to be attached are the wheels and there is a feeling of total satisfaction as the model is completed.
In life, we all come in different shapes, colours, and sizes, some might well end up being wheels, supporting the whole model and being prominent in the finished model, others of us play an important role, but when the model is complete, we are out of sight, yet vital to the whole construction. In any organization, it is vital that people with different gifts and graces work together in harmony, for some that will be in prominent roles, for others it will be in the background. Our size, shape, and colour, all matter in the beauty of the finished product.
When I have finished making my kit, there are always some pieces left over that are surplus to requirements, I have checked and others have found this to be the case, it is not that I have necessarily missed them. I can never bring myself to throw them away, they too were made with a purpose, I store them away in a plastic, there may be a time when I lose a piece and then they might be needed, but regardless, they still matter.
This week in our journey towards being a Justice seeking Church we remember that we must value every human being and encourage, enable, and equip every individual to play their part to the best of their ability.
Please remember: –
God made human beings in the image of God, each worthy of equal value and dignity.
The search for justice entails treating others with respect and may involve reclaiming lost worth.