Scripture: 1 John 3:2 – Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. (NRSV)
Sometimes, I do not know who I am or where I stand regarding the idea of identity. First, there is my personal identity, how I see myself. At times I feel like I am true to myself and that I am who I am meant to be. Other times, I feel like no one understands me, and perhaps there is something wrong with me—not just my behavior, but the core of my being.
Then there are issues of identity that go beyond the personal, markers like sex, ethnicity, region, ideology, or religion. These factors are as much an essential part of who we are as our personal tastes and opinions. We are shaped by them, and in turn we shape them. I believe these differences should be celebrated, for we were not only created as individuals in the image of God, but also as a common humanity. That means all our cultural variations are important.
Ideally, we should be enriched by our encounter with other identities, whether personal or social. But, buried deep in our DNA and our collective unconscious is a paleolithic fear of those outside our group. Just as a dog barks at a stranger walking past their house, so we too push back against difference. And when identity is just a marker of us versus them and leads only to conflict, I feel like some parts of identity need to be adjusted.
How do I reconcile my inner doubts about myself, my love of my own cultural identity, and the desire peace and understanding with others? I think the first solution is to recognize the interconnected nature of these concerns, we do not need to choose just one or the other.
The second solution is to find a greater identity that includes, but also supersedes all others. That is our identity as children of God. In his Letter to the Galatians, Paul writes, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.’ In the Letter to the Ephesians, we hear, “He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will.” Our love of Jesus does not erase who we are but includes it into a greater purpose. As our scripture from the First Letter of John tells us, we do not know what this purpose is, for much about God remains a mystery to us. But our faith tells us that behind the rich and colorful masks we wear, the various, blended marks of our identity, there is a core that says, “I am Christ’s.” With faith in this identity, we can overcome any self-doubt or social division that comes our way.
Prayer: Lord, help us to pray for insight into our deepest natures, helping to celebrate all you have created and your loving grace which binds us into one people and one world. Amen.
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