400 hundred years ago the Lancashire baronet Sir Richard De Hoghton of Hoghton Tower invited King James I to stay at his manor, welcoming the monarch with a ¾ mile long red velvet carpet. During the three-day visit King James dined lavishly in the company of dukes, earls and knights and it is said that the King so enjoyed a loin of beef served up in one of these banquets that he drew his sword and knighted it ‘Sir Loin’, which is how it got its name. Unfortunately, Sir Richard was bankrupted by his lavish hospitality, but that’s another story.
It’s always nice to be appreciated for something isn’t it? Whether it’s a Title, a Trophy, a Teapot (The Boston Teapot Trophy is an annual international award relating to the sailing of tall ships), or whatever, it’s great to receive recognition of achievement. Sometimes (or perhaps often) in life we may feel that despite our hard work, dedication and perseverance, ‘winning’ eludes us. Many of our clients long just to be accepted, let alone honoured, rather all they have experienced is criticism, put downs and rejection.
Through our work at South West Community Chaplaincy, we hope that we can play a part in building people up, helping them to feel more confident, supporting them to find acceptance, purpose and meaning in life. It might not be practical to go round with an armful of trophies to hand out, and we may not be in a position to bestow knighthoods, but we can help people to feel noticed, valued, honoured, accepted, through our words.
As our Mission Statement says, our foundations are derived from Christian faith-based principles, not least of hope, compassion, forgiveness, and the intrinsic uniqueness and value of every person. So, let’s keep our antennae up, ready to give credit where credit is due, noticing those moments when those we are supporting need a word of encouragement, offering the time and attention that let people know they are valued, and that they are indeed of great worth.
