At our recent Police Chaplain’s conference, an important point was often made.  It is important to know who you are in order to be best able to serve other people.
It might not seem such a significant thing in this world filled with chameleons – of people trying desperately to be what perhaps they are not. People hide behind masks for all sorts of reasons.  A quick google will show up lists of the personality masks that people sometimes wear to hide their true self. Things like: the Martyr. The Bully. The Calm. The Humour. The Over achieving. The Self-abashing. The Avoidant. The Controlling. The People pleasing . . . and the list goes on.
Not that masks are so bad in themselves. Sometimes we need to wear a mask for self-protection or to gain access to a situation. But generally the Psychology world would say that long term and over use can potentially lead to emotional exhaustion, depression and anxiety as one tries to hide their true self from the world. However, the apostle Paul is kind of talking about wearing masks when he says in 1 Corinthians 9:22 (ESV): To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. But Paul, even when he wore a mask ‘in order to save people’, never relinquished his true identity. He always knew who he was. He makes it clear in his letters. He begins his letter to the Romans in this way: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1) He knows, and he states who he is!
Look around. It’s no wonder that people cry out for transparency and authenticity in the face of obscured and opaque worldly ways. Just like us sometimes, people we know hide their true selves. I experience that as a chaplain. Sometimes people are quite obvious when they put on a mask as they see me.
If we desire to live full and open lives, to truly be effective in our dealings with each other, families, friends, neighbours and work mates; we do that best when we know who we are, always conscious that our identity is ‘in Christ’. We are God’s people!
Who are you? Who am I? We are Kingdom people; God’s people; safe and saved; loved; forgiven – so that we can truly be an effective presence of Christ; set apart for the Gospel; seeking the lost for the Kingdom in partnership with Christ.