When asked who he was, John the Baptist was clear.
I am not the Messiah.
I am not the prophet, Elijah.
I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’
When someone asks us who we are, how do we answer? By our relationship with people? I’m Graham’s wife, Sally’s Dad, Bill’s grandson. By our profession? I’m the plumber, the specialist at the hospital, a teacher at the local school. By where we live? I’m two doors down, I’m from interstate.
These are the expected answers. They narrow down who we are, and draw neat lines around us, making a place where we fit in society. A place that might feel secure, or perhaps confining.
What if God asks who we are? What if someone seeking God asks?
I am not the Messiah, but together we are Christ’s hands and feet.
I am not the prophet, Elijah, but together we pray, listen to the spirit, test everything and hold on to what is good.
I am not Jesus, but please do come and join in with what Jesus is doing here.
In society, we are defined, with sharp boundaries; there is a neat place for us that is ours, and ours alone. We are easily identified. In God’s kingdom, the boundaries blur, between people, and between individuals and God. Our place is interconnected, the boundaries dissolve, as the Spirit joins us together to become a part of the fluid movement of Christ in this world. But we remain easily identifiable to one another and God, and can feel secure in that knowledge. Working together in Christ, we come to know each other and belong more deeply than the world can ever promise.
Who am I? Who are you? Who are we? How will we answer?
Yours in Christ,
Rev’d Ann