Many years ago The Who asked the musical
question “Who are you? Who, who, who, who?”. As we mature and age
we all wrestle with that very question. Who am I? What am I going to
be? How will I make a difference in the world?
At the beginning of his ministry Jesus
wrestles with the same question. Right after his baptism by John
Jesus is led out into the wilderness for a time of testing, a time of
sorting out what it means to be, as was affirmed at his baptism, "you
are my [God] Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased"
It is a common part of growing up. Decades
ago in Junior High I remember talking about “Walkabout”, the
story of a young Australian Aborigine who was taking part in a coming
of age ritual, a journey of self-discovery. Or think about the many
people who finish school and take a year off to “find themselves”.
Getting a sense of who we are, of who God has shaped us to be allows
us to make choices about careers, about volunteering, about how we
will live our lives. It also allows us to figure out how we are going
to be a part of God’s ongoing mission in the world.
Because God is at work in the world. God
has a mission in the world and God is constantly inviting as, as
individuals and as communities to participate in the missio
Dei,
God’s mission. And what is God’s mission?
Some suggest God’s mission is convert all
people to one specific religion. I would tend to disagree. I think
God has a broader vision.
As Mark tells the story, when Jesus appears
on the scene and begins his ministry it is with these words: “The
time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God has come near”. And from then
on Jesus is all about proclaiming the Kingdom of God. God’s mission
is to bring the Kingdom of God to full flower here on earth. As we
say in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in
heaven”.
Which leaves a few more questions (I was
always taught that the most important things in life are the
questions we ask). One is what good things are keeping you from
sharing in God’s mission? When Jesus is led out into the wilderness
for his time of testing the tempter offers three valuable and worthy
options for how he can live out his life. He can feed the hungry, he
can take political power and set things to right, he can be a miracle
worker. Jesus sees through the trap and rejects all three. Then he
goes on to be who God has called and shaped him to be – which
includes feeding the hungry and working miracles as it happens. So
what good options are drawing you away from what you truly feel
called to do?
Another question is the one that started
this column. Who are you? Who are you now, in this season of your
life? The role we have to play in God’s mission is intrinsically
linked to who we are. And so as we change our role may also change.
Who are you? What giftedness is attached to you being who you are?
What is
your passion? What are your talents (and yes everyone has talents)? I
believe that if we listen with our hearts our passion tells us where
God is calling us to go. Years ago Frederick Beuchner wrote “The
place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the
world’s deep hunger meet.” Aristotle said “Where your talents
and the needs of the world cross; there lies your vocation.”. What
is your passion, what are your talents? What needs do you see in the
world around you that intersect with your passion and your talents?
God is at work in the world. God invites
each of us to share in the building up of the Kingdom of God. Each
one of us is challenged to use the gifts God has given us for the
betterment of the world.
Look at
yourself. Ask how you can use what you have to participate in God’s
mission. And who knows, you may find that you are already doing it.
In his book Already Missional
Dr. Brad Morrison points out that many churches are full of people
sharing in God’s Mission in their communities. We just don’t
always recognize that what we are doing is part of building the
Kingdom.
Thank you for the work you are already
doing! And keep your eyes open, God may have a job waiting just for
you.
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