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Good morning. When I was a teenager I wanted to be George Harrison. It didn’t matter that it was the late 1970s and the punk bands of the day were writing off the Beatles as old has-beens. I wanted to be George.. the spiritually-inclined guitarist.

But these days.. I have to say I also harbour a sneaking respect for Brian Epstein. There are famously dozens of contenders for the title of ‘Fifth Beatle’. But if anybody deserves the title most it’s probably Brian Epstein.. their visionary manager.. who died 47 years ago today at the age of just 32. And that’s not just my opinion: Paul McCartney’s on record as saying the same thing.

It was Epstein who spotted the potential of the band at a lunchtime performance in Liverpool’s Cavern Club in 1961. He was the one who got them signed with George Martin’s Parlophone label.. after they’d been turned down by all the other record companies in London. It was Epstein’s marketing skills that shaped the Beatles’ early image. It was his management skills that helped propel them to international stardom. And it was his interpersonal skills that mediated between band members whenever tempers frayed.

These days I find I have an increasing respect for those who choose to avoid the limelight themselves.. but nurture and develop the gifts in other people. Mentors.. who help others become more fully the person they have the potential to become.

Lord God, help me take a moment today to say thanks for the unsung heroes who’ve helped me become who I am. And help me identify one other person for whom I can be a guide and a help on the journey of life. Amen.