Some years ago, we were to meet our granddaughter Samantha at the Binghamton airport. Since we hadn’t seen Sam for quite a while, we were expecting an adolescent and somewhat gangly youngster. As the passengers came through the gate, a very attractive and self-possessed young woman greeted us and handed us her baggage, causing me to ask, “Who are you? And what have you done with my granddaughter?” Each of us wears a bunch of hats: as a citizen of the USA and the world, as a member of organization/club, as employee/manager…and yes, as a Believer in Christ. No wonder I’m confused!
Scripture this coming weekend helps us to clarify who we are, especially in light of the recent Easter. The story from Acts is about the stoning of Stephen (7:55-60), and is meant to empower the Resurrection People. Stephen’s death launched a wave of persecution (see Saul/Paul, Acts 9) and dispersed the Friends of Jesus to tell about him all over the Roman world. If we can see ourselves as part of this ongoing dispersion, we may begin to identify our own personae in the face of draconian budget-cuts and other current attitudes of abandoning the poor…
Peter or his amanuensis writes to faith communities in Asia Minor who are feeling crunched because they’re running counter to the prevailing culture. “But YOU are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, GOD’S OWN PEOPLE, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into [God’s] marvelous light! Once you were not a people, but now you are GOD’S people! Once you had not received mercy, but now you HAVE received mercy.” (I 2:9-10) We all need a pep rally now ‘n’ then to remind ourselves Who We Are. Can this be written over the exit doors of each church building?
Scattered post-Easter People are recalled to the Person of Jesus as the Christ in the Gospel lesson, John 14:1-14. In retrospect, the Last Supper was an occasion for self- identity: John’s readers were supposed to say, “Aha! NOW I get it!” Jesus speaks of preparing Eternity for those gathered around the bread & cup; he reminds Thomas and the rest of us, “From now on you DO know [my Father] and HAVE seen him.” And later, an audacious promise, “Amen, amen, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” Although discouragingly feeble, we their heirs are urged to claim our ancestry especially though disappointed with the prevailing culture.
People expect certain functions from those who wear ID credentials: this is a doctor, she’ll fix my nausea; this is a computer techie, he’ll fix my laptop; this is a server, he’ll bring my dinner… Our badges hopefully identify us as People who have seen the Resurrected Christ: we’ll speak of peace and justice, faith and affirmation! Dare I understand that even I have a place in the choir?
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
My musings on Bible passages assigned for the coming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com
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