How Is Greatness Measured?

How is greatness measured?  Certainly, if you watch TV and sports, greatness is accorded by how many home runs hit or how often you’re brought-up on the NEWS. Or perhaps, if you are a politician, your greatness is judged by how many people worked on your election or laws enacted.  If you are a religious or business leader, perhaps, the measure may be how many souls you reached or how many dollars you amassed. In the public eye, for most things, there are measures of greatness and standards of excellence.

Yet, how is greatness measured for the average person; for example, the mother of five who struggles on one income? How is her individual greatness measured either by herself or by others? Or perhaps, your mentally ill brother, or blind neighbor who has been blind since birth; how do they look at their own importance? Yes, what is the measure of their life? Personally, when they compare their accomplishments to those of people glorified in media, history books, or Sport shows- I wonder how they feel about how they measure up. I wonder does the average person even think about this sort of thing.

Years ago, how to view the individual importance or greatness of the average person was answered for me- many times, in unspoken ways. Each time my mother welcomed me home from school with a kiss or cooked my favorite meal because she wanted to make me happy- I was in the presence of greatness.  To her, the importance, and yes the very center of her life, was giving to her children. In fact, I remember her saying, many years later, ‘she never felt as alive as when she was giving to her children.’

During this holiday season, let us not forget, true greatness is measured by love and how, through our caring actions, we share and help others.

And when He died on the Cross, so many years ago, this was the universal message of Love that He shared with all of humanity.

-SB