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 mental processing. One two three, the group, the rest.
+It is very interesting to observe the role of ranking. People get into jobs, because they have been
+ranked top in some selection list. People get invitations, because they are considered prominent. People
+get particular attention and acknowledgement, because they are ranked high. Our social processes
+depend strongly on the ranking mechanisms. And it is everywhere.
+Of course, we all know that the ranking is only looking at one particular talent or ability. We all have
+our friends, we all know how it is when we love someone. We forget the ranking. We forget the talent.
+We might love this or that particular strength, but usually when it comes to love and friendship, we
+are no longer bound to the particular talent of a person, but we love the person itself, his or her
+character, him just as he is, her just as she is. Love does not make talent useless, but it puts it
+into place. Love is more than talent.
+And I have another proposition. All people have their particular talent. They all have their particular
+combination of strength and abilities. For some the combination is one highly prominent talent. For
+others it is a combination, they might be very much open to listen, for example. Who is a good listener?
+Some might be good in admiring others. They give love and acknowledgement to others. Some do not
+forget things which need to be done. They take care, they do not forget people, they remember problems.
+There are so many talents which are very valuable, but rarely in our public league tables of special
+talents! We should open our eyes to the full breadth of talent, which is needed for our community.
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 ** Jesus' Ranking ... **
+There is another important point. Jesus is changing our rankings. When you read the gospels, you find
+his monumental speech given on the mount, see Matthew 5-7. It starts with a revolution, with changing
+the ranking mechanism we usually work with. Read it, Jesus says:
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 </color> (Matthew 5,3)
+Jesus talks a lot about the kingdom of heaven. He talks about the community with God, the creator, the
+beginning and the end. The kingdom of heaven is a term pointing to the original and eternal community
+with the God who made all what is. This community is described as good, as holy, as full of truth,
+love, faithfulness and purity. Blessing points to everything which comes from the eternal heavenly
+community. Heaven points to God who is beyond our world. This location is not within our world, but
+far away. At the same time, God is there in the middle of our world. He came as a human
+in Jesus. And he wants to have community with us through the Holy Spirit.
+Our ranking is not valid when it comes to God. Who is able to get into the community with God? We are
+not getting there by our talent. We do not get there by our achievement. We do not get into this
+community by using our money, or our fame, or our status. All of this does not help us.
+But being poor before God, being poor in spirit, that is the starting point to address him. He made
+everything anyway. Being poor in spirit means that we acknowledge that all talent is merely a present
+and gift of the most high. We have nothing we could give to buy anything from him. But we can receive
+his love, his truth, his mercy. We can acknowledge him as the creator, as the origin and purpose of
+the creation. Here, when we start to look at him as those who are poor indeed, we find an open door to
+enter his community. It is the door he created in Jesus.
+This door can be yours and it can be mine today and each and every minute.
 (Roland Potthast)