Perhaps you’ve heard it said – “You do you, and I’ll do me.” On one level it rings true because it underscores our primal need to discover our own uniqueness as individuals. But on another level we all have an abiding expectation that we should all be able to “do us” . . . and discover an understanding of ourselves as a unified whole. So I guess the question is – is there a sweet spot of compromised identity between the two to be found? Or are these simply irreconcilable identities, existing in a perpetual state of contention.
Epistemologically speaking, nothing can actually be known apart from a given context – and even language itself requires an interplay of context in order to take shape and make meaningful communication even possible. Therefore, it could be reasonably argued — to whatever degree we are able to nail down our own identity, is the same degree we become contextualized to our own existence. In this regard, our identity is more than just a mercurial self-referencing appraisal – our identity is meant to be a touchstone, anchoring us back to the very moment all things were spoken into existence.
But ever since we found ourselves outside of Eden heading east, we’ve been experiencing a restless alienation, not only within our relationship to God but also within ourselves . . . and with everyone else. So now we perpetually invent new identities, new explanations for who we are, each one a dumpster fire of self-referencing calamity . . . and these distorted identities have become ubiquitous within our prevailing culture. They are embedded in the curated obsessions of our consumerist impulse and sexual desire, slavishly pursuing all that our longing eye can behold. Or they’re on full display in the manufactured virtue of our religious and political posturing, feeding the self-righteous sanctimony with which we pass judgment on all those with whom we disagree. Is it any wonder these broken identities make us feel so hollow?
Out of the burning bush God speaks to Moses, declaring himself — I AM (Exodus 3:14), identifying himself as the ultimate reference point for all that exists. And we find this ontological claim being echoed in the words of Jesus “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6). So in the same way that nothing exists apart from Yahweh (The Father), there is no way, truth, or life apart from Jesus (The Son) – because the identity of Yahweh can’t actually be understood apart from Jesus. In this regard, Jesus makes plain for us the very essence of God.
So here’s what you should meditate on – we were never meant to have an identity apart from God . . . apart from Jesus. Therefore every identity we invent for ourselves is fiction, contrived completely out of our desperate desire to declare our self-existence, apart from God. This is Paul’s point in Philippians 3:8, 9 – everything is rubbish when compared with being found in Christ. And our being found in Christ inescapably defines our existence, “so we, though many, are one body in Christ, individually members, one of another.” ~ Romans 12:5. Therefore, being found in Christ, whether as individuals or in community – our identity is unshakably sure.
. . . this is from my Chiaroscuro Collection
Long Buried Stones
There’s a song in the wildwood – that sets my heart free
It’s a gentle persuader – that whispers to me
As it hauls in the ropes – of my turbulent past
And it quiets my storms – till my sea is like glass
I have lived with this longing – till it hollowed me out
And I’ve followed desire – till it filled me with doubt
So in silence, I wait – for the solace of night
Till it translates me whole – in the presence of light
Sure, it’s a vagabond’s dream – to be set adrift
And a poet’s refrain – to repair what is left
But the simple inflection – of hope found in a grin
Can unravel the thread – of what’s been hidden within
So now pour me out broken – into shards of light
And winnow and cut me – and reshape my life
Then remove my hard places – like long-buried stones
Find me misfit forgotten – and then lead me home
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Still Chasing Light
Featured Image by Charles Thonney from Pixabay
