#257 Who Am I?

I hear a lot of talk about identity and identifying these days. I don't know that this is necessarily a new trend; it's just something that I've noticed. In discussions related to gender and sexuality, identity comes up a lot. In political reporting people are identified as a supporter of this politician or that position. We identify ourselves lots of different ways—by our ethnicity, our hometown, our job, our interests.

I bring this up because the Bible talks about identity as well. For those of us who belong to Jesus, who believe in Him as our Savior and Lord, we have a new identity. We are in Christ. Or to use more everyday language, we are Christians. But here's the thing: God teaches us that being in Christ is not just another piece of the puzzle of our identity. Being in Christ is our primary identity. For God's people, being in Christ is the driving factor in how we live our lives.

Now being in Christ doesn't totally erase the other parts of our identities. I don't stop being, say, an American because I'm a Christian. But being in Christ takes precedence. When it comes to things I don't choose, being in Christ shapes how I live. So, for example, I must think about how God wants to me live as a Christian male. When it comes to things I can choose, I need to consider if they're compatible with being in Christ. Can I live as a Christian and also support this political party or take this job?

Maybe this sounds like pretty basic stuff. But I worry that we Christians are losing this. We're defining ourselves more by things like our generation or nationality or gender than by being in Christ. We're using these other identities to separate ourselves from other people when Christ breaks down the dividing walls between different groups of people. We're worrying about fitting in with these groups we identify with instead of focusing on following Jesus. I see these trends and temptations in myself, not just others. I don't want us to lose our way.

Let me conclude with some questions that I need to think about and that I wonder if we Christians in general need to think about. What do I use to define or identify myself? In what parts of my life am I hiding or ignoring my identity in Christ? What I can do to remind myself that I belong to Christ? How can I live more fully for Jesus? I pray that Jesus, who has saved us and chosen us to be His own will help us embrace and live into the new identity He gives us.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#256 Miracle Monday

Happy Miracle Monday, everyone! It's the third Monday in May, the day of the climax of Elliot S! Maggin's 1981 Superman novel, Miracle Monday.

In the days leading up to the first Miracle Monday, Metropolis (and the world at large) had been terrorized by a demon named C. W. Saturn, who was desperately trying to corrupt Earth's greatest champion of good, Superman. But on Miracle Monday Superman was able to turn the tables on his foe, achieving victory while proving that he would not give in to evil. When Superman triumphed over C. W. Saturn, all the chaos the demon had created was undone, leaving Superman as the only one who truly remembered what had happened. But the people of Earth, sensing that something great and wonderful had happened (even if they couldn't recall or understand what), started to celebrate the third Monday of May every year, naming it "Miracle Monday."

So, yeah, Miracle Monday is a fictional holiday from an obscure superhero novel. But it's also a great Superman story, an exciting tale of the triumph of good over evil, highlighting Superman's greatest strength: the courage to never give up doing the right thing. That strength enables him to often do things that seem impossible and overcome challenges that seem insurmountable. And that makes for stories worth reading and remembering and being inspired by. Plus, what else is a Superman fan with a Monday blog going to write about? Until next time, keep fighting the good fight, even if it seems like a never-ending battle.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#255 Reel Life

After five years of living in a church-owned house, Tess and I bought our own house last August. For the first time in my adult life, I had a lawn to take care of. So I started looking for a lawn mower. After doing some research I decided to get a reel mower. Yes, an old-school human-powered push mower. Tess (and many other people I talked to) thought I was crazy. But after finishing up our mowing last fall and getting things started again this spring, I'm pleased with my choice.

Let's talk about your potential concerns first. My reel mower doesn't seem any heavier than gas-powered mowers I've used, and as long as the grass isn't ridiculously long, it seems at least as easy to push as your average mower without self-propulsion. We'll have to see how difficult it is to find someone to sharpen the blades, but as long as the blades are sharp enough, my reel mower works smoothly.

But the thing I really like about my reel mower is how quiet it is. There's no loud engine noise, just a soft clipping sound. I can talk with Tess or the girls while I'm mowing. When I stop pushing the blades stop spinning. There's also no gasoline smell, and no frustration from having to go fill the gas can before I can start mowing for the week. I'm still working, but it's pretty easy to enjoy being outdoors. And hey, if having a weird lawn mower starts some conversations with my neighbors, that's not a bad thing at all.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#254 Reunion

Last time I blogged about reading The Chronicles of Narnia with Lanie. Lanie LOVED the ending of the series when all the main characters from the seven books are reunited again. I think C.S. Lewis does a wonderful job of envisioning the new creation and God's people spending eternity together with Him, and Lewis does this in a way that makes sense to children. Right now it's Eastertime, so I think it's only natural that I've been reflecting on eternal life lately. Eternal life is one the great assurances Christians receive from Jesus' resurrection. As Lewis captures so wonderfully, part of the beauty of the Christian story is that it doesn't truly end. The return of Jesus and coming of the new creation is only the beginning. And, as in The Chronicles of Narnia, all of God's people will be together again. I'm sure our relationships will be somehow different when we live face-to-face with God in perfection, but we'll all be there forever.

I can't say that I can really envision what that reunion will be like, but it sure sounds fantastic. At this point I'm still pretty young. Most of the people who've made an impact on my life are still alive. But even now I'm separated from a lot of people who are very dear to me. I've moved a couple times since my school days, leaving quite a few friends and family members in different places, and many of them have gone elsewhere as well. Truth be told, I'm a terrible long-distance friend. I'd like to think I'm a decent local friend, but I struggle to stay in touch with people who live a ways away, people I don't get to see somewhat regularly. I don't do social media, and the occasional text message or even video chat never feels like the real thing. So outside of a few visits here and there when one of us is traveling, I don't see a lot of people whom I would really enjoy frequently spending time with. I should try to do better here and now, but when schedules just don't work out or visits are too short, it's comforting to know that reunion is coming. In Christ we'll be together again, and one day there won't be any more good-byes.

Grace and peace,

BMH