Skip to main content

Identity II

             Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, (Ephesians 2:19)

 

          Again, Biblegateway.com has provided a passage that at least hints about identity. That means I get to try to say what I was trying to say yesterday, and didn’t, or perhaps to say it better. When someone becomes a Christian, they become a citizen of Heaven. As such, their membership in any other group must – at best – take second place. Or third. Or tenth. Or have no place at all.

          Are you a ______? That’s nice. It doesn’t really matter anymore, but that’s nice. And if you hold on to that identity, you’re dividing yourself away from whatever “them” is involved in the equation – and you shouldn’t expect them to treat you as one of their own when you’ve established your preference of beng a _______ over being a Christian.

          And it’s true that some people elevate one group over another – even using Scripture to justify it. I don’t understand this. Well, I do understand it,  it’s human nature. But you didn’t make yourself ________, so patting yourself on the back for being one makes no sense. Showing pride in an identity makes about as much sense as being proud that you “raised” a 10 lb. chunk of concrete well, feeding it, watering it, taking it for walks, teaching it to speak and do math…

          I’m sure I’m too proud of being a few things, but I also suspect that my pride has to do with negative things. I’m probably more proud of my identity as a loser than I am of being a winner of some sort. But even that is dangerous because we tend to put ourselves in mental ruts when we pick identities. It destroys our freedom. If we are this, we can’t also be that.

          Yesterday, the John Ortberg vlog I listened to was a discussion of identity, in a way. With many identities, the focus is on what those identifying as something are to do. Before he was elected president, Joe Biden told a Black radio talk show host that if the host was having any difficulty deciding whether to vote for Mr. Trump or Mr. Biden, the host “ain’t Black” because all Black people vote Democrat, apparently. Robin Deangelo, author of White Fragility, is among many people who maintain that if you are White, you are a racist. There is no other option because you see the world through your experience as a White person. On the other hand, people of color are forced (due to the sheer number of White people) to experience the world partly from a White perspective.

          All of this involves what we do. What the Bible teaches is not about doing, according to Mr. Ortberg and his guest, it’s about being. It isn’t about our loving, joyous, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, or self-controlled. It is about being the kind of person who is (consistently) loving, joyous, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more