One can hear all sorts of things about the individual human being. Some people stress the individual in all areas of life. Some others react by downplaying the importance of the individual; they may stress the human group- family, community, society, nation, or humanity. Depending on the circumstances, both emphases can be appropriate.
However, in light of today's Gospel from the beginning of St. Luke 15, let us think a bit about the spiritual value of the human individual. One lost sheep is important enough to leave the rest of the flock to find. One soul that repents leads to heavenly rejoicing. This passage points to a general teaching of Scripture: the supreme human value of the individual soul and his/her relationship to God.
Scripture is the basis of any true Christian individualism. While the value of each person may have an impact in all areas of human life, Christian individualism is not about philosophy, politics, economics, psychology, or societal building blocks. True individualism is spiritual; it is about God the Father reaching out in grace through Christ and the Holy Spirit to save individual souls that He created in His image- souls that He seeks to bring into fellowship with Him.
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