Who am I? When I was an undergraduate student, my Psychology Professor asked the class this question. The instructions were to write 7 answers on a piece of paper. These were the answers I wrote: 1. My name; 2. My family status (daughter); 3. My faith; 4. My ethnicity; 5. My marital status; 6. My employment (legal secretary) and 7. My residence (Cleveland, Ohio).
After we completed the exercise, the professor revealed how most people answered the questions. When asked “who am I”, most people will reply with their names. At the time these questions were asked, faith was very high on the list of self-identification. Residency and employment were not as significant. I can’t help but wonder how those enrolled in college would answer the question today. How do we describe who we are to others? What would you want people to know about you? Given the time to reflect upon the question now, what seven items would you include to describe who you are.
I believe our names are still important. More than anything else, our names are the first step in inviting others to know who we are. As a society, we are much more mobile than when I grew up. Parents and children don’t necessarily live in the same city or the same state. One of my nieces calls North Dakota her home. My son has lived in New York City for almost a decade. Their ties to where they grew up are not as strong.
A person’s faith doesn’t hold the same importance it once did. I am certain people still believe. However, in the survey world, there is some discussion around whether or not people believe in the God of the Bible, or in a higher power. Of course, those who created the surveys, and have interpreted the results, offer a variety of explanations. I am not satisfied with what they have suggested. As I look at the struggles before us: global warming, poverty, more school shootings, increased drug use and suicides, and teen homelessness among them, I know that we need faith now, more than ever.
We, who are servant leaders in the 21st century, have a lot of work to do. People need our help. People need to hear the Lord’s story of compassion, grace, and love. People need to know that they have worth and value in the eyes of the one who created us all. People need to know that they are not alone. As clergy and laity, we are called to share the Good News of our Risen Savior. This is our mission.
Miracles are happening. Prayers are being answered. Lives are being transformed. God is alive and well and dwelling in each of our hearts. May we seek to find ways to meet people where they are, and accompany them on their life journey, helping them to see how God is shaping and molding their lives. May we dare to proclaim all that we know about what God has done, is doing and will do for us. May we cast nets, fishing for people to enter the Lord’s embrace. May we be the light of the world, dispelling the darkness which threatens to separate our faith from who we are and who we can become. And Amen.