October 14, 2025

Dear Friends,

It was normal chit-chat during the coffee break at church last Sunday. I was catching up with my friend, Evan, when his wife came up to us, turned to me and blurted, “Has he confessed to you yet?” The weird thing was that she was smiling while she asked.

After the briefest of moments (which seemed like eternity to me as I mentally assessed as many combinations and permutations of possibilities as seemed reasonable during the time allotted), he confessed, “I tried to duplicate you.”

Then, catching himself (he is an English teacher, after all), he corrected, “Actually, I tried to get ChatGPT to write one of your pastoral letters.” Chuckling, he added, “It hasn’t worked — so far. You’re an original!” Okay, I don’t remember if he actually said that last part but that is what I heard.

He went on to tell me that he had set certain parameters for the AI bot. He was disappointed with the result. Then he modified the parameters but still, it generated nothing quite like what I produce each week. As it was, we all had a good laugh before being called back to worship.

There was a time in my life where that incident would have left me both joyful and cold — joyful and proud that I was unique; cold that I was likely fighting a losing battle to stay that way. Now, I find the incident both heartwarming and quite amusing. I feel honoured that someone would even try to replicate something I’ve done.

What changed? Honestly, it’s been a long time since I really cared very much about what others think (those of you who know me know that this is basically true). But there was a time when all my sense of self was running frantically on that treadmill. Perhaps you can relate.

I wonder how much time we’ve wasted trying to prove we’re worthy of being loved, appreciated or respected. I wonder how many of us still have niggling (don’t you love that word?) doubts from time to time. After all, it’s not that we shouldn’t care about the opinion of others or how we come across. To not care is to risk becoming the north end of a donkey going south.

Here is the reality that has significantly freed me. You are loved fully by your Creator. You didn’t earn it. You don’t have to prove you are worthy. You just have to relax into it and relish it. Your uniqueness is God’s handiwork, whether AI can replicate it or not (though I have doubts that’s possible). To paraphrase the psalmist, you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” and your soul knows it. You are a piece of work — good work, fashioned by God himself. Your only responsibility in all this is to accept this fact and live up to your potential, not because you have to but because you want to. It’s what pleases your Maker. Take that, ChatGPT!

Blessings!

Doug