Somebodies and Nobodies

It has become the great American obsession - to become a somebody. Doesn't much matter how we get there, so long as we gain some bit of notoriety, some sparkling moment of fame, just enough name recognition to lift us above all of the lowly nobodies in the general populace. How deep is the desire to be known, to be recognized, to be honored and applauded. Take a moment and count up all of the talent search shows on television. How many people are anxious to line up just waiting to be discovered, to be the next big deal, the next nobody to become a somebody.

And the rest of us nobodies who cannot sing or dance or juggle watch them with rapt attention, somehow sharing the moment vicariously, getting just a tiny glimpse of what it must be like to enter the spotlight of stardom. I'll admit, it's pretty exciting stuff.

Our culture's infatuation with fame started me thinking about nobodies and somebodies. A few thoughts I've been pondering:

• What makes a nobody a nobody? 
• What makes a somebody a somebody?
• Why do some nobodies seem perfectly content, happy, and fulfilled?
• Why do so many somebodies still feel like nobodies?
• Who gets to hang these labels on us? Don't we have some say in the matter?
• And, most important of all, where does "somebodyness" come from? What is the true source of our value, our worth, our self-esteem?  

Is it possible that we are in this world in the first place because Somebody created, Somebody cared, Somebody came, and Somebody carried a cross so that the dead might live, the condemned might be released, and dirty little orphans like us might become the children of God.

We don't need Simon Cowell to determine our value. Every wandering prodigal can receive a red carpet welcome from a good and gracious God.

"Behold! What manner of love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God. And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1) 

Get the picture? You are known. You are loved. You are somebody because Somebody loves you more than you can imagine.