Most of us can respond relatively coherently when someone asks what Christians do. We worship God, respond to Jesus’ call to service, welcome strangers, educate our children, and provide opportunities for youth and adults to grow in faith. We attempt to keep our baptismal promise to obey Jesus’ Word and show his love. We know something about what we do, but when someone asks who we are, we typically stumble and stammer.
Who are we? Some insist that we should answer that question in a single sentence. I consider few essentials of life and faith that easy to describe. Here is my response to the question, “Who are Christians?” I’d enjoy hearing yours.
We are the baptized. God has claimed us and made us members of the Body of Christ by water and the Spirit. We respond by turning from evil, turning to God, and professing and following Jesus as Lord.
We are called. We embrace the mystery expressed in Jesus’ words: “You did not choose me but I chose you” (John 15:16). Something and/or someone drew us to our journey in faith. We make decisions about how to follow, but at the heart of it all we feel led and guided: called. Sometimes we have little more than our call. We lack confidence and clarity; yet, cling to the conviction that God calls us to the path we travel.
We are followers of Jesus. We strive to obey the commandment: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35), and to serve Jesus who said, “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). We do not claim always to understand Jesus and we certainly do not declare that we have a particular claim on him. As best we can, we follow him.
We are people shaped by hope. No matter who scoffs, we believe that light conquers darkness and life ultimately triumphs over death. We always hope or want to hope because we believe that life is precious, that God always remains with us, and that reaching for what we cannot yet touch makes us more alive.
We are a community. Although we have distinct personalities, identities, talents, and abilities, we believe that common good matters more than personal gain. We believe that God exists in community, which we describe as the mystery of the Trinity, and that we glimpse at God, whom no one can know, as we live in community.
We are grateful people, who seek to live our thanksgiving with courage every day. We experience heartache, defeat, and disappointment; but in and around those realities we can see and count blessings. We know that the realities that most shape our lives come to us as gifts. Yes, it takes effort to open and express accountability for those gifts; yet, the best of life remains just that: a gift.
That, for me, is the heart of who we are. All we do flows from our God-granted identity. Thank you for helping me to strive to live with courageous gratitude. I look forward to hearing other responses to the basic question. “Who are we?”
Grace and Peace,
LP
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