My favorite book of all time is Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. It tells of a sister (Franny) who is having a spiritual crisis and her brother who is (trying) to help her. He reminds her of an earlier crisis she had when, as a young girl, Franny came across this saying of Jesus: “You are worth more than many sparrows.” Franny didn’t agree. How could some of the horrible human beings she knew or knew of be worth more than her beloved pet? What gives our species such value? Aren’t all creatures great and small precious in God’s sight? Zooey explained it was because we have a family relationship with Jesus. Jesus showed us that human beings, every human being, has the capacity of bearing divinity is a way that Easter chicks, pet dogs and whales do not. The resolution of the spiritual crisis occurs when Franny realizes that every person she meets, even the most unlikely, bears the face of Christ.
