Humanity’s story begins with deep connection to God. In the garden, Adam and Eve walked openly with their Creator, unashamed and at peace. But once they disobeyed, shame entered the picture. They hid—not because God rejected them, but because they believed they were no longer worthy of His presence. That same lie still whispers to us today: “You’re not good enough for God.”
At the same time, pride can pull us in the opposite direction. We try to prove our worth through good behaviour, religious effort, or comparison. Both shame and pride keep us distant from God—one says we’re too broken, the other says we don’t need Him.
Jesus meets us in the middle. Through His righteousness, we are fully accepted, forgiven, and made right with God. In Jesus, we are free from both self-condemnation and self-reliance.
That freedom turns us outward—able to love, connect, and reflect God’s heart to others. The question we’re left with is powerful: God loves the world—does the world experience that love through His church?
