every human being matters

Have you ever wondered why there are those born with perfect looks and dispositions, and then there are others who are born with genetic anomalies? The ones who look different, think differently, act differently than the majority of those around them. It seems unfair.

But what many ignore is that some of the most beautiful people aren’t the ones in the perfect outer appearances, nor are those who have greatest intelligence. Those seemingly broken vessels often contain the greatest treasures.

Reflection on beauty…

Many years ago, there was a family in our church who had a Down’s Syndrome daughter. I would watch them interact amongst themselves and grew in wonderment.

The siblings loved the girl. The girl loved the sister. To them, everyone was normal and accepted. And it spilled over into the church community.

And I’d see videos of other families with disabled. Yet none of the people in the family ever rejected them.

Over the years, I’ve encountered many others who had differences, both seen and unseen. They were some of the most beautiful people I’d ever met.

But there is another side…

But I also encountered the ugly side of human nature as toward those individuals with the same types of disabilities. These individuals would reveal their animosity against anything that wasn’t considered “normal”. They demanded an explanation for the irregularities, and advocated for a cure to “fix” them.

Proclaiming themselves to be the empathetic ones, they told the world that these aberrations were unfair and could not sustain any semblance of what they determined was “a happy life”. They made it their objective to eradicate those characteristics so that only perfect human beings would exist.

As I observed all of this, I realized there was a radical gap between the two perspectives. The one was joyous while the other was mired in disgust.

Could the two ever come together in agreement?

I believe the answer is “yes”. And it comes down to one word:

Love

Love in this sense is defined in the online dictionary as “A strong feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, such as for a parent, child, friend, or pet”, and an “Active, self-giving concern for the well-being of others.”

In a more profound sense, love embraces the other person as if they see God himself within them. In the words of St Silouan the Athonite:

“There is nothing better in the world than to love God and your neighbor. In this, the soul finds peace and joy.”, for “He who has known the love of God loves the whole world.”

Again,

“The meaning of love is the meaning of life, because love, in spite of what we very often think or imagine, is not a simple feeling. When we speak of God, and we say that God is love, we do not mean that he is infinite feeling. We mean something deeper than this; that God is a plenitude of life and of being. And this applies also to our human love. Someone who is possessed by love is a man who has a plenitude of life in himself, in whom the sense of life, the power of life is so full, so great, that life is sure of itself.”

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, 14 November 2015

The root cause of the different perspectives…

I believe the cause of these different viewpoints comes down to how a person was influenced in their youth by parents and peers, as well as with whom they continue to surround themselves. In each of these groups there is a strong impact on attitudes.

In the first set of families and their siblings, there was great love and acceptance toward one another. There was not the distinction between them because they recognized the human person who was inside those broken bodies.

The parents taught the other family members that, just because they look different, they are still human beings. They, too, hold a special place in our world today, even if it isn’t the place that society deems as “burdensome”.

These people offer us genuine love and acceptance, unlike those who appear perfect but are heartless. They show us how to love life as it is, despite challenges. Living simply, they reject societal complexity—no deadlines or superficial pursuits like AI or finance. Instead, they embrace minimalism and cherish life’s simple pleasures, something many strive for but can’t let go of their obsession with “more important” things.

We have much to learn from them. They show us what truly matters. Contrary to some beliefs, they are not useless but the greatest teachers our world has to offer.

Where does your attitude lie?

What would be your reaction to this little girl, loved by her brother and by the man who embraces those with disabilities? It may surprise you. But it will reveal even to you what you hold in value about another deeply within your own heart.