Remember Who You Are - August 29

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14); PM Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 116, 117; Job 9:1,10:1-9,16-22; Acts 11:1-18; John 8:12-20

In my sixth-grade year, I was a student at a small Episcopal private school. There were less than thirty in my class, so we were all eager to make friends with people at other schools. The dances at the all-girls’ schools were especially exciting as my class what was about 75% boys. And, as you might imagine with a small school, we all wanted to make a name for ourselves and sure enough, there was a run of especially poor decision making.

The headmaster brought the whole middle school together and he had a pretty simple piece of advice. “Remember who you are and who you represent.” I can still hear those words and the power of the simple idea. If we know who we are, and if we know the people that have made us who we are, we have the power and freedom to make the best choices. While I suspect he didn’t want us to further tarnish the name of the school, I also believe he was giving us a tool to face the world with the grounding of our moral, philosophical, and religious education.

Maybe our headmaster (he was an Episcopal priest) was drawing from the wisdom offered in the Gospel of John when Jesus is testifying and says, “my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.” There is a weightiness behind Jesus’s words. He can stand there with authority, grounded in who he is, and face those who seek to undermine him. Later in the story, he can even face the most daunting challenge of all, the great mystery of our faith, his death, and crucifixion. He can face this because he knows who he is and where he comes from.

The beautiful cosmic truth of our human condition in light of the teaching of the church is that each one of us, by being human, is also a beloved child of God. We come from God, God is with us in life, and in death, we return to God. Why then is it so difficult to make good decisions, to strive for justice and peace, to respect the dignity of every human being, to give of ourselves in a sacrificial way by modeling love in this world? Maybe it is because we have forgotten where we have come from and where we are headed.

The good news is a simple reminder can help us get back on track. So remember who you are and who you represent.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: What does it mean to you to come from God? How can remembering this truth impact your life from day to day?

Daily Challenge: Are there any heavy decision that you are making in your life at this time? In consider the dilemma you are facing, spend time reflecting on who you are, and the moral person that you are trying to become and see how that impacts your decision-making process.