This is what the Lord said to Samuel as David was chosen,

“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him (referring to Eliab, the eldest son of Jesse); for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16: 7.

Having an environment that focuses on physical appearance over the heart, and that gives more emphasis on how we look, on how many likes and followers we get on Facebook, Instagram and twitter, can be deceiving and we can be pretentious.

Philippines had been branded as the Social Media Capital of the World. There are about 76 millions of Filipinos spending as much as 4 hours a day on social media sites. This kind of environment surely affect and influence how we relate with one another and how we perceive other people. And its danger is when we limit ourselves from what we only see on pictures and videos that were filled with filters, edits and even fake news.

As God chose David, God makes himself clear that He sees our heart and God sees the heart of the young David, who was God’s beloved.

Indeed, David was a boy who was free. He too was in fact handsome but the Lord sees him beyond the physical. God sees the innocent heart of David untainted by selfish desires. He was never dictated or influenced by any selfish desires to please others and to seek praise from others. David just enjoyed his childhood.

As Pope Francis affirms, “The glory of the youth is in the heart, more than in physical strength or the impression given to others.”