It is difficult - if not impossible - to avoid feeling pressurised by cultural expectations. In this age of instant communication and social media influencers, we can become exhausted by invitations to compare ourselves. We want to measure up; to be the greatest in some acknowledged way. This reflection contemplates the word ‘great’ and invites you to ask what it means - to you.
Photo by Siddhant Kumar on Unsplash
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.”
World class athletes at the Olympics (and soon Paralympics) in Tokyo are objectively speaking the ‘greatest’ in their sports. They work incredibly hard. Some have talked about a struggle comparable with unforgiving training regimes - that of coping with success: when one is perceived as ‘great’, expectations rocket. Greatness, as a worldly measure by which we are assessed, is exhausting.
Facebook, Instagram and TikTok encourage people to ‘achieve’ greatness quickly, by posting details about their lives. The likes and comments attracted by a user’s online presence are, supposedly, a measure of quality and social stature. (For a tangential exploration of the chemistry behind the buzz of being ‘liked’ online, listen to this Blind Boy podcast on Attachment Theory.)
Most of us are not famous or world class in our field. But this does not stop us living in an endless cycle of trying to appear ‘great’ to our audience; we still scrabble for crumbs of digital attention; we still compare.
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Spend a moment examining your own standards / the ways your measure yourself. Are you happy with this?
The bible is full of great acts - not least in the accounts of the Acts of the Apostles. These are stories of what happened to the first Christians during the days after Jesus’ death and resurrection. They are larger than life occurrences. Those of us who try to follow the teachings of Christ can fall into the trap of measuring ourselves according to that era and the miracles performed. One of the readings recommended for today is Acts 5: 12-16 - a case in point.
Also recommended for today, however, is a passage from Luke's Gospel where Jesus characteristically unsettles cultural norms. As his followers argue over who is the greatest among them (how reassuring - they did it too!) he asks, “Who is great?” Unafraid to use himself as an example, he argues that greatness is proven in service and humility.
Who are your heroes? Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Pope Francis? Fictional characters, perhaps, such as Lucy in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird. Do they seek greatness, or happen to be put into situations where they achieve it? Referring to Malvolio’s statement - in these lives, what is the balance between being “born great”, working hard to achieve it - and resisting it?
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Who has inspired you? Who is ‘great’ in your eyes? What actions in your own life have been great? Spend some time thinking about these things.
Christ knew the expectations of greatness. But he ignored them. He did not overthrow the Romans or lead a great uprising. He suffered the ultimate shame, was put to death on a cross, revealed naked in all his mortal vulnerability, considered a failure. Today, we may hail him as a great man - few spotted it, at the time.
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How do you feel about this?
What is your life's desire? Is it reflected in your day-to-day choices? What measures do you use?
To be the best of ourselves is not to be ‘like’ anyone else; it is hard to quantify a life that refreshes itself and those around it.
What resources do you need to live the life you are called to? We invite you to make space for them. If any of our events can help you to do so, we would love to see you!
You may enjoy this from Molten Meditation on the only thing that is required of us. It uses music, photos and words from the Gospel of Matthew: