Derry Bishop condemns ‘I’m worth it’ culture

Dr. Dónal McKeown, a longtime critic of the “me, me, me” lifestyle, says the current cultural narrative has tended to move towards the assumption that “we are entitled to whatever pleasure and happiness we can get and that everything should be removed that upsets my plans or causes pain.”

The real heroes, he says, are those who face harsh reality, those who love and sacrifice themselves.

“The ones who nourish us are not those who keep repeating foot-tapping, mind-numbing jingles but those whose lives and actions speak of courage and meaning beyond what tickles my fancy here and now,” he said.

“It is not all about me, screaming out from a lonely place that, ‘I am worth it’. Jesus takes us seriously but speaks of a heroism that comes from facing challenges with a generous heart.

“He calls us to believe in something beyond our own unimaginative dreams. There was a time when not believing in God was the rebellious thing to do. Now the real rebels are those who dare to believe in Resurrection and not just in a return to the status quo.”

Bishop McKeown added that, in recent times, many people have suffered.

“Life has been stripped of the hopes and plans that helped them get up in the morning.

“Never be afraid to voice your anger, hurt and disappointment to the Lord,” he adds.

“The One who was let down by His followers and rejected by many, the One who suffered in Gethsemane and on Calvary knows what physical and mental distress are like.”