This week I learned a lot about dignity in my own life. On Wednesday I went to Asheville to worship with the homeless and eat with them. I was told that when we talk to the homeless and build relationships with them, it gives them their dignity back. What I learned though, is that it gave my my dignity too. The OED defines this word in this way: The quality of being worthy or honourable; worthiness, worth, nobleness, excellence.
My worth does not come from myself but from Christ alone. Due to this, dignity does not come from my strength, but from my brokenness, because it is when I am broken that I understand how worthy Christ is, and begin to let him give me worthiness.
In Asheville, I felt broken. There is joy in being broken. There is joy in not pretending. There is dignity in not pretending.
