Few of us want to appear dependent: witness therugged determination of many older people toresist support to which they're entitled; and theintense frustration of some who've spent a lifetimecaring for others who now find it painfully difficult toaccept that they're the ones who must be caredfor.The Christian faith, like others, commends thegood life as one spent in loving service of God and ofother people.But it makes clear that the willingnessto receive is just as much a part of what it means tobe truly human.We enter the world totallydependent, and however confident, self-contained we might become, we do so only inrelationship with other human beings and with gifts which are exactly that - abilities, skills,which are first given. And we never outgrow our need to receive love, human and divine. But itcan take both humility and courage to recognise it.

没什么人愿意显出依赖性，目睹过很多垂垂老者坚决不接受他们应得的帮助，有些一辈子都在照顾别人的人难以接受自己要被人照顾的事实。基督教信仰和其他一样，赞美虔诚伺主、关爱他人的人生。但也说明，能同时接受别人的给予也是真实人生的一部分。我们出生时完全无法独立，无论我们后来变得如何自信、自持，这都是在与他人接触中才会展现的，而且与之相关的能力、技巧一开始也是从别人那里得到的。我们永远都需要接受爱，同情和善意，但只有谦卑和勇气才能让我们醒悟到这一点。