Who Is That Person? > Marble Collegiate Church

Current Articles | Categories | Search | Syndication

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Who Is That Person?
By webmaster @ 12:01 AM :: 857 Views :: 4 Comments :: Dr. Michael Brown

"Who is that person?" I asked that recently about myself! I stopped by the Marble Vision studio as they were playing a video of the past Sunday’s sermon. I saw some robed guy talking about faith. I recognized the words. I knew them by heart. But, who was that guy speaking my words?

For starters, the guy on the screen was overweight. Okay, they say the camera adds ten pounds. I have no idea what accounted for the other twenty. A lot of my life was spent skinny. I know you find that hard to believe, but it’s true. I used to lift weights and drink late-night milk shakes laced with wheat germ and raw eggs in an attempt to gain weight. Apparently I succeeded. But, I don’t feel like the guy I saw on the screen. Another thing, I am much younger on the inside than he appears on the outside. I am a virtual kid. The man on the screen should be meeting with a financial planner to arrange for the golden years. And, do I really sound like that? I thought I was so cultured … you all. Anyway, to pick a line from Burns, it really is sobering to see ourselves as others see us. And primarily that’s because I am someone else inside.

Jesus said: "The kingdom of God is within you." I cling to that promise. Outwardly, I am not always who or what I want to be (and certainly, according to the screen, not who I once was). I have scars and stains from times past, evidence of decisions made that cannot be retrieved. But, on the inside there still lives the young man who longed to be pure, to be God’s. There is still a sense of adventure about faith and about life. There is still the irrepressible hope that sometimes doesn’t show through on the outer face of the aging, weary-looking guy. But inside, I still feel unstained and unspoiled. I carry within me a sense of wonder and a desire to be what God wants me to be. Inside, I still feel what outwardly I have too often failed to live up to. I remember the words of God to David, who felt himself to be a failure: "You did well, in that it was in your heart." I trust in that to be true. I believe in the grace of God who sees us as we were meant to be. I believe that, however we may have stumbled and failed across the years, within us is still "the kingdom of God," just waiting to be made visible through our lives.

But, you know something interesting? The biblical Greek word for "within" can also be used for "among." "The kingdom of God is among you!" That is corporate. It means, as Christ put it, that "where two or three are gathered together in His name," there is God’s Spirit and God’s power. Maybe it’s a church thing. Maybe God honors the gathering of people of faith who believe that we can be and do together what we can never be or do individually. "The kingdom of God is among us." If so then your strengths compensate for my weaknesses, and vice versa. Your talents complement mine. All of us bring different spices to the stew, so that together the soup of life is tasty and rich and feeds the souls of the world. And no matter how much anyone claims that church is outdated or hypocritical or whatever else, it continues to be a force for goodness and justice because, despite our individual weaknesses, "the kingdom of God is among" us.

Books cannot always be judged by their covers. Nor can people. Or groups of people, like, for example, a church. Beneath exteriors are spiritual places where God lives – and where God still heals and redeems and inspires. It is in those interior places (which we call "souls") that regeneration takes place, that life is made new, that people reclaim what we once held sacred but misplaced for a while, and that God empowers us to become what we were meant to be. Perhaps that’s what the New Testament word "salvation" is getting at.

I must remember that next time I see myself on screen. There’s a better man than the one I see, just beneath the surface. In fact, he’s practically svelte!

Comments

By SniffNY @ Monday, August 30, 2010 8:54 AM

Wow. These blogs get better and better. I am thankful for all of the contributors.

“Who am I?” is a courageous question to ask, or to answer. For some of us our parents give us names at birth to tell the world who they believe we are or what we will do (no, SniffNY was not the name given to me by my parents, nor does it represent any strange habits I have). I also love the angel Gabriel’s naming of Mary—“Favored One”. It would be nice to have my inner identity revealed by an angel. Instead, I often permit my identity to be defined by others such as my boss, employees, family, friends, the IRS, direct mail advertisers (“Occupant”), the taxi driver annoyed with my jaywalking (I can’t repeat his name for me).

Thank you for the reminder that Jesus tells us who we really are.

By bmonie @ Sunday, September 05, 2010 8:56 AM

Wow, Michael. I've had the same experience. It's interesting that the kids in the church see us as old and "ministerial." What they don't know is that we're still kids inside. I wish they knew! Thanks for a very thoughtful and poignant blog.

By john cadue @ Monday, September 13, 2010 10:26 AM

Don't worry Doctor Brown , We see that guy clearly.:) And he speaks to us wisely:)

By plavcan @ Wednesday, September 29, 2010 5:05 PM

Dr. Brown,

Thank you for an especially insightful sharing. Trust me when I say the congregation sees your inner kid shine through in your message, laced with wise leader wisdom and humor. You encourage us to look at our inner and outer perception.

You must be logged in to post a comment. You can login here