One of my rituals on New Year’s Day – apart from doing the giant crossword in the NZ Herald – is perusing the Honours list.

Often there is someone I know, or at least have met. However, they are usually listed in the fine print. I don’t know many sports stars, captains of industry, or scientists – and these are the ones who tend to take out the top honours.

It did get me thinking, though. Instead of the Queen bestowing the honours, what if it was Jesus? Who would Jesus have on his honours list? I’m sure it would be very different from the one our Prime Minister sends to the Queen for rubber-stamping.

Perhaps he would start with the heroes of Christchurch. Maybe he would honour all those Cantabrians who, despite having their own homes ruined, rushed to the aid of their neighbours; maybe someone from the Student Army, the Farmy Army or the many other “armies” who put community before self.

Perhaps members of our own churches, who rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in; or members of the emergency services and rescue teams; or simply those people who got up to face each day even though they had no idea when the next shake was coming or whether their house would be repaired.

Maybe Jesus’ focus is on the more mundane. Perhaps he would honour the alcoholic who, on his knees in prayer, managed a whole month without taking a drink. Perhaps it would be the gambling addict who had finally admitted the problem and sought help.

Perhaps he would honour the solo mum with three kids who can’t afford to give them a decent breakfast, or the family who have lost a loved one in a car crash, or the person in the midst of a time of spiritual dryness.

Maybe it is the family who give up their comfortable Kiwi lifestyle to take his gospel to the world’s dark places. Or it might be those who are forced to be in those dark places – the girl trafficked into prostitution, the child soldier, the father desperately trying to grab a bottle of water from the throng surrounding the UN aid worker.

Or perhaps he would honour those imprisoned by their own governments because of their political or religious beliefs, or the Syrians protesting in their streets in the fight for freedom.

But what is truly amazing is that we don’t have to guess. Jesus tells us who is on his honours list. It’s right there in the Bible, Matthew 5: “The poor in spirit are blessed …those who mourn are blessed … the gentle are blessed … those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed.”

– Duncan Pardon