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Religious: Identity in reality
Father Abraham Srambical
for South Peace News
Last week, I officiated the funeral of my friend Dorothy Willier in Faust.
Before the funeral ceremony one of her daughters and a relative told me that Dorothy Willier known among them by the name ‘WAD I’ (it sounds like what I). This name was new to me and I was surprised. Her friend Nora gave me some explanations why they call her ‘WAD I.’
Later I heard more about ‘WAD I’ (Dorothy) from the words of eulogy and sharing of others.
Her wonderful name made think. Our name gives each person special identity in society. “Who am I?” This question is central to my life, my feelings and the way of my living. I live according to who I understand myself to be and what I feel I should be. Each one of us, by our lifestyle and our dressing and even from the opinions of others, tries to define ourselves.
The documents of identity we carry hold the details of where we belong. Beginning with my name which reveals the family and beliefs I come from – the identity goes on to give details of the names of my parents, the place I come from and the date of my birth.
By this, we can conclude my identity is formed by my belonging to the particular family, locality, city or country by such details. When my identity is described by such details it means that all that I am and can become is confined and decided by my belonging to certain people, place, culture and the circumstances of my birth.
Does such categorization really describe all that I am?
The Bible however, has a great revelation for us. It says to us something very different that will radically change everything of our living and perception.
The Bible declares we are not merely the children of our human parents or citizens of one corner of this world.
We have a higher existence and identity.
“To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)
God has taken up parenthood and we are spiritual entities with a Heavenly Father. Our citizenship is in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Our natural circumstances no longer have a bearing on us. There is no earthly limitation to tie us down.
Our faith is in fact a grand celebration of the revelation of who we are.
“We are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Saviour to come from there” (Philippians 3:20).
The descent of Jesus, the Son of God to this Earth, is meant for our ascent to the Heavenly Kingdom. That is what the Word of God is revealing to us. In Jesus, the Son of God, we are made the children of God. Jesus took our human nature and became one of us to sanctify our nature, making us the children of God.
St. Paul says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Jesus specifies we need to be born again - not of the flesh but of the Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit makes us a new person with altogether new possibilities. To become the children of God is a great privilege that we must celebrate. This privilege should determine our way of thinking and style of living.
That is why the Bible is telling us that we are not indebted to living merely as citizens of this world. Even when we live in this world, we should know that as the children of God, we are in transit to a higher existence. Our ways of thinking, our style of living should be moulded accordingly.
St. John says, “Children, you belonged to God ... God’s spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
This confidence of faith is our privilege and our birthright when we realize our identity as the children of God. It also follows that our style of living should be fitting as God’s children. Jesus told us to “be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) It is clear then that in all the moments of our life, our one concern should be to resemble our Heavenly Father.
We are citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom vested with the power of kinship. This is the message of the gospel where Jesus offers us the power to be the children of God. This is a power to be exercised in the daily situations of our life. Any fool can give in to sadness and despair. Any fool can take a pistol and shoot and destroy when he is angry.
But the child of God even when he is sad; remembers there is a power in him greater than the situation. Nothing will be impossible to us because we are the children of our Heavenly Father!
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