Today would have been my oldest brother's 62nd birthday, but he left us nine years ago after 53 amazingly fruitful years.

It is fitting that his birthday falls on Easter because he taught me most of what I know about rebirth, persistence, joy and the value of everyone on this Earth, even those considered disabled.

Today is the most important of days in the Christian world. While Easter lacks the fanfare and spending of Christmas, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and not his birth, marks the apex of the faith. It is the start of a new year, in some cases, a new life.

Sixty-two years ago, Charles Dennis Gallagher was born on this Earth with a 47th chromosome. This additional chromosome gave him powers the rest of us simply do not possess. He was irrepressibly optimistic, unfailingly flirtatious and never trapped once by the quest for fame, fortune or glory. He never acted like he was better than anyone else. We were equal in his eyes.

His life was an example of the virtues to which we should aspire.

Six weeks ago in church, one of the readings came from St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. (And while we're on the subject, St. Paul puts Op-Ed writers to shame because his work is so consistently insightful and well-written.)

"God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something"

In our world, those who are disabled or unattractive or poor are the ones chosen by God to put things into proper perspective for the rest of us who might consider ourselves privileged, wealthy or handsome.

I have a new friend who, through kind actions and words, reminds me that not one of us holds any supremacy over another when it comes to God's view of us.

Christ humbled himself to come into the world. His very first lesson was to become one of us. But he did not shame us or lord it over us. He taught us to love one another, irrespective of appearance, language, ability or culture.

In the best moments of my life (and I often fall short), I live the lessons taught to me by Christ and by my brother's life: To accomplish much in spite of limitations. To give love freely and be kind. To sing loudly and robustly, even if occasionally off-key. And to never treat anyone as if I hold some special favor in the eyes of God.

— Tim Gallagher of Camarillo is owner of Gallagher 20/20 Consulting in Westlake Village. He can be reached at tim@gallagher2020.com.