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Good morning. We now know who the Sports Personality is and who has the X-Factor – at least for this year. Later in this week of awards and finals, the most popular British comedian and the most skilled celebrity dancer will be crowned. The recognition of the person who is the best is a ratings winner. It’s easy to be cynical about the desire for fame in celebrity culture and to forget the hard work and special talent which is recognised by these awards. Hours in practice or in the rehearsal studio, the crafting of a good joke or simply the pressure of performing in front of millions of people lies behind the applause and affirmation. Yet recognising the person who is truly special isn’t easy. J.D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye wrote ‘People always clap for the wrong things.’ It is often the X-factor runners up who go on to the most fruitful career, and famously Sir Roger Bannister missed Sports Personality in the year of his four minute mile. Perhaps more seriously, politician and sociologist Michael Young wrote, ‘Every selection of one is a rejection of many’. This came in his 1958 satirical essay The Rise of the Meritocracy, which explored rulership by a small elite who defined merit in terms of intellect and effort. While on the surface this frees people from the unjust constraints of social or ethnic discrimination, Young was subsequently dismayed that the idea was championed by politicians who did not hear his warning that this easily degenerates into an equally oppressive regime where the elite with merit of a particular kind exclude others. He was particularly worried about an education system putting its seal of approval on a minority while relegating others at an early age. So how do you recognise the achievement of some without rejecting the other? Here diversity of opportunity has to be coupled with a commitment to the inherent value of every person whether or not they fit the narrow criteria of public applause. This commitment can come from many sources, but as a Christian I have learnt this especially from the way that Jesus reached out to people, recognising everyone as special and rejecting no one . In my work in education here in Durham, I therefore join with those of other faiths and none who see the value of every person in celebrating and encouraging excellence while not restricting this excellence to just passing certain exams. Personally, I am thankful to find my true recognition in the love shown by others and in the love of God – as I will never win an award for sport, comedy or as my wife will testify dancing.