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Wisdom Words
"Our Father..."
*Jesus, the Christ
"A genuine relationship between ourselves and others is possible only when there is a distinction between us in which we remain who we are and others remain who they are. To attempt to do away with our own or others' unique individuality is to make a real relationship between us impossible, ... There is a kind of Christian talk about self-denial, self-sacrifice, and tolerance that is profoundly inhuman and unchristian. And there is a kind of self-assertion, often regarded by Christians with suspicion, that is genuinely human and Christian."
*Shirley C. Guthrie, Jr. Christian Doctrine.
"As we deepen our gaze in the mirror [of the Crucified], we are drawn into the central mystery of human existence, our identity, each of us loved into being by God in a personal and unique way."
*Ilia Delio. Clare of Assisi.
Comments
When Jesus says to pray "Our Father," he speaks an inspiring mystery of identity. I am personal-communal being. I cannot say "Our" without confirmation of identity flowing into and out of the personal-communal identity of all persons.
This "all persons" is not just persons alive now, but those of the past and of the future. I could not be who I am without each one of them being who she is; no one can be herself without my being who I am. Not one of us could be who we each are without the whole collective being what it is together.
This means the human person is not a solid, substantive center located only in space~time. The person is a pulsating, fluid, ever-changing center of energy both within space-time and transcending space-time.
So, I cannot wrongly deny myself or act in self-sacrifice in a misdirected fashion. Wrongly to deny myself or engage in self-sacrifice is to deny I am formed out of God unlike any other person ever been born. There must be that self who recognizes the other and Other and can pray "Our Father" and from an authentic sense of uniquely formed being.
Without a stubborn refusal to sacrifice and deny my true identity, authentic relationship is not possible. Interaction is possible in such a situation, but not genuine relationship.
Ironically, when I begin setting free the true self I have always been in and from God, then that self will be so authentic and so powerful that something disturbing is likely to happen: Persons who were comfortable with my former self-denials and self-sacrifices, mere expressions of resisting the self God made me to be from eternity, may discover they are quite confused by and uncomfortable with this newly emerging man.
This is to say that my weakness and compliance served them in their weakness and compliance. My self-denial added to their denial of their identities, while my self-assertion calls them to discontinue acting weak and compliant before the arbitrary forces around them.
Oddly, we Christians talk of following and imitating Jesus. But often the images we have of human identity and Christian behavior is in contradiction to the powerful Christ that was in touch with his identity and expressed his power for the good of others, not to make them comfortable with themselves or happy with him.
Suggested Reflection
What does it mean for you to act in self-denial in a healthy way? In an unhealthy way?
What does it mean for you to see yourself as a powerful person? How might acting that way affect persons in your life?
What is the difference between being powerful in a Christ-like way and expressing power in an un-Christ-like way?
Is it possible for you to be humble and powerful? Explain.
What messages from varied sources (i.e., religion, family, friends, media,...)about your identity might you need to abandon to reclaim who you truly are as a child of the Divine?
When you look at the Gospels, what are attributes of Jesus Christ that you believe God wants you to accept as part of your identity?
For submission of replies, see below:
*Brian K. Wilcox is Pastor of Christ Community United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL. He is a vowed member of Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community. His passion is living a contemplative life and inspiring others to experience a deeper relationship with Christ through contemplative prayer and living.
Key Words: Identity, Our Father, Power, True Self, Community, Person, Individuality, Image of God, Self-Denial, Self-Sacrifice, Imitating Christ, Community
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