Even in Christian circles, oftentimes we operate as if people’s value is commensurate with their helpfulness/productivity. Yet that’s a deeply non-Christian line of thought. For all of us, there are significant periods of time where we are dependent on the care of others (infancy, childhood, elderliness, etc). Also, some people experience substantial physical, cognitive, or mental health impairment for longer periods of their lives. Dependency doesn’t decrease someone’s value. Perhaps weakness is a window into our true value apart from our “usefulness.”

Rev. Sr. Sarah Baldwin and I unpack how the Holy Spirit roots belovedness in our hearts, how our encounters with others reveal God’s heart, and the pain and beauty of dependency.