Gregory Peck once stood in line with a friend, waiting for a table in a crowded restaurant. His friend became impatient and said, “Why don’t you tell the maitre d’ who you are?” Peck responded “No. If you have to tell them who you are, then you aren’t.” Well, there was a lot of wisdom and insight in that. It reminds me of those words from the Bible that say: “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” But the question is, esteemed by whom? It may be nice to be recognized by head waiters or kids collecting autographs, but the only recognition that ultimately counts is the one I hope to receive from my maker.
It reminds me of a sceptic I once heard on the ABC’s Q & A program contemptuously say he didn’t recognise God, to which one of the panelists replied, ‘What you really need to worry about is whether He recognises you.’