Talent born of compassion
David Jones on how none of us are exempt from the value that God places upon us
BRITISH talent was certainly on show at the Golden Globe awards. Olivia Coleman took the award for the best performance in a drama while Welsh-born actor Christian Bale picked up the top award in his category.
Richard Madden, who had us on the edge of our seats in the The Bodyguard, won in the TV drama category, while Ben Whitelaw’s role in A Very British Scandal gained him the best supporting actor in a TV series. With the Oscars just around the corner there might well be more good news for the British film and TV industry.
The definition of “talent”, according to the dictionary is “a marked innate ability, as for artistic accomplishment” or “a natural endowment or ability of a far superior quality”.
There are those who we know who display even from an early age a natural ability to do things exceedingly well.
Here in Llanelli we have seen, and continue to see, amazing talent in the musical and dramatic ability of so many of our young people.
Walking our dog along the Millennium Coast Path, we passed the goalposts removed from Stradey Park with the lifelike sculpture of Phil Ben- net going for a try – a reminder of the amazing talent which is so much part of our sporting heritage as a community.
Most of us would willingly recognise that our abilities and talents may never hit the headlines.
The good news is that the Bible tells us that none of us are exempt from the value that God places upon us. We may often feel inadequate and have nothing to offer in terms of our own abilities.
Not so – Jesus said that when you give even a cup of water to someone in need you are exercising the talent of love. Jesus spoke of a nameless Samaritan who crossed the road to help a dying man while the “religious” men passed him by.
His talent was born of compassion. We come back to the dictionary’s definition “a natural endowment of a superior quality” – I would say Amen to that.
It is when we excel in love, care and compassion, when we go that extra mile in helping to make this world a better place for someone in need we excel ‘in the natural endowment of love‘ which is the God given talent in which we can all truly excel!