Christian (identity, heroism, or living)?

It is of no doubt that we face in our generation a deep identity crisis. There is a search for an identity mark to which we can attach ourselves. Perhaps it is because we are not able to find a self within ourselves; it is shattered, fragmented, socially imprinted or branded.

Attaching ourselves with an ideology, culture or religion we might look for an identity. Making sure that these structures are well protected becomes very important, because it provides us something of what we are. Is that totally wrong? May not be completely! It can help if we are able to find the essence above the structures and modalities. If the latter is the focus, all our aim will be for preserving them which must be mere means, not the end. Replacing of means with the end actually forms extreme views in us because it demands a protective mode.

We can observe the extreme tendencies in different faith traditions as polarised activism, all believing that they offer worship to God. They can be seen as distorted responses to postmodern crisis, which offers a sense of identity, belonging and purpose.

Another form of extremism is withdrawal. We have the beautiful word ‘asceticism’ in whose pretext we can escape from the challenges of the world. This modern trend should not be mistaken by making parallel with monastic asceticism of medieval time. What we need to look into is whether these attitudes really become a sign, a living inspiration to the wounded world, even if they are able to make impressions and promote pious sensation among the likeminded. Being present to the world amidst struggles, with all humility and courage, we must be ready to tell the world that we don’t have all answers to the problems of the world, but placing our hope we join Christ in searching for them.

We can move away and counter everything in the world which we term evil trends. In every trend there sobs a quest. The Bible shows many conscientious heroes who kept their purity, detaching themselves from gentile company and food. We may be identified as person of fire/ spirit but the actions done serve only our desire for work fulfilment. Overenthusiasm and emotionalism need to be faced with prudence and selfcontrol, otherwise they might bring damage than growth.

Jesus did not become a hero in any of the above mode. He was gentle and humble of heart. He asked us to live our life in the freedom of the children of God. He gave us the spirit. Being patient with ourselves and our dreams, gradually spirit works within, and we find ourselves healed and strengthened.

As social beings we do belong to forms and structures of society, and so also of religion. But they are to point towards human fulfilment. These glorious structures and modalities of religion, institutions and movements may be wrongly attached as identity marks which creates in us a conscientious hero. We must humbly allow new forms to emerge, rejoice at the sight of the Lord in the new blooms.

Do we make attempts to personalise the attitudes of Jesus, and patiently go through a process of Christification? Or do we simply attach ourselves to a religious structure? We may be more concerned about how purely we are Catholic, how authentically we are eastern or western, how strict we are in our pious observations, or how meticulously we seek to find a proud relation to the Bible in making use of Hebrew names and titles. What is our focus? Our emphasis shows where we are rooted. Immediately we must warn ourselves if we find that we offer worship to our identity marks, not to God. Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking [it is not extreme forms of piety and emotionalism, it is not well conducted number of events, it is not becoming isolated special ‘pure’ Christian, it is not idolatrous reverence to the Bible], but it is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.