Message from the Chaplain

Appearances May Deceive

“Ogres have layers – onions have layers!  End of story!”  

Those of you who managed to see the excellent Shrek: The Musical that’s just finished its run at the Capitol Theatre – or anyone who’s seen the movie version! – will recognise this line, where the (anti)hero Shrek explains to his unwelcome sidekick Donkey that there’s more to ogres than the ugly and fearsome beasts that meet the eye. The fact that what you see on the surface is not the sum total of a person, is one of the main themes of the movie; it’s definitely something that both Shrek and Fiona, the princess he rescues, find out about each other, discovering that “you’re not the type of hero/princess I’d been expecting….”

We all accept that appearances aren’t everything, don’t we? However, it’s one thing to know that, and another thing to live out that attitude – in a society where, in so many situations, the outward appearance is all we’re allowed to see. So much of social media, in particular, is about concealing the ‘layers’ of a person’s identity, by the use of carefully selected photos and carefully edited posts – making it difficult to discover anything about what someone is like in reality….

In this world of ‘surface knowledge’, though, it’s good to know that there is Someone who sees the reality under everyappearance.  In the Bible, God reminds the prophet Samuel, “I do not judge as people judge.  They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)  Maybe that sounds a bit concerning for you – the fact that God sees and knows the depths of our hearts (despite how many layers we try to put on!). The good news is that it can also be a cause for great confidence and comfort, for those in a relationship with Him.  The God who knows us thoroughly, also loves us deeply – Jesus is the evidence of that!  Entrusting ourselves to His love rescues us from having to live by appearances, because His forgiveness penetrates through every layer of our life.