Who Am I?

Lenten Photo: Day One

Who Am I?

I woke up this morning thinking about Jesus' journey into the wilderness as depicted in an old, cheaply made BBC movie called "Son of Man." So often we picture Jesus as so confident and comfortable with who he is. After all, how can the Son of God not be confident and comfortable with his identity? Yet, in the movie the director has a striking scene depicting Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. His biggest temptation being the struggle to understand who he is.

I was astonished by this scene for it had never occurred to me that Jesus would struggle to come to terms with who he was - yet - if he was fully human as our creeds proclaim, then why wouldn't he struggle and feel less than confident at times? We all do right? 

Today I begin a Lenten photo experiment suggested by the Rethink Church folks. On this Ash Wednesday we were to take a photo on the topic of "Who Am I" - and I was surprised at how difficult I found that exercise. Who am I? It is difficult to sum up in a photo of course but I found myself struggling to sum it up even in words.

I am an ordinary woman blessed with many extraordinary labels: I am a Christian, a Pastor, a wife and a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend - those are my favorite labels. I am also ordinary and so on this Ash Wednesday I acknowledge other things that "I am" - a sinner, a body waiting to return to ash, a daily failure to be Christ-like. But then the extraordinary labels remind me that I am also an Easter Person - which means my sin is forgiven and my death is a victory.

Who am I? I am Christ's - and I am content