February 12, 2012
“Remember Who You Are – The Grace of Awakening”
Luke 2:41-52
Earlier in my ministry, for a number of years I led youth groups at the churches where I
served. I still have a number of strong memories from those experiences. One memory in
particular that I have held onto is when I was preparing to take a group of young people to an
area youth dance at another church. We had a good sized group going, most of them younger
– closer to middle-school age rather than senior high. It wasn’t something we did a lot, so the
young people were pretty excited. They were excited and nervous about this experience –
although they would never admit to being nervous. The interesting thing is they weren’t the
only ones who were nervous, so were a few of the parents. I remember one parent standing on
the sidewalk saying “goodbye” to her daughter, Annie. Annie was one of the younger ones in
the youth group. I guessed that it was her first real “dance.” I could tell her mother was a little
nervous, as most parents are during such moments – moments that are so full of so much of
what makes life – life – a mother saying “goodbye” to her daughter – her little girl taking a step
on the exciting journey toward becoming a young woman.
What I remember was the struggle I sensed in the young girl’s mother, trying to hold
onto her daughter and yet, knowing she had to let her go. Then I remember hearing the words
she shared with her before Annie hopped into the car to leave. She said, “Remember who you
are.” At the time, the words struck me. I mentally took note of them. This girl’s mother felt
that if only Annie “remembered” who she was, remembered her background, her training, her
values, her upbringing, all she learned and had come to know about life and herself then
somehow she would be all right. If she just trusted what she could find deep in her heart, she
would be able to successfully navigate this evening. It was a great moment, one that I tucked
away in the back of my mind.
It’s important for us to remember who we are. The question of a person’s identity is
extremely important. It shapes us and in many ways determines how we choose to live in this
world. And, of course, our faith has something to say about this identity. At the heart of the
story read from the gospel of Luke there is a word play going on between Jesus and his mother.
After Mary says, “How could you do this to your father and me?” Jesus responds by saying
“Don’t you know I must be in my father’s house?” By using the word “father” differently, Jesus
makes it clear that his spiritual ties will even transcend the ties he has to his parents. Jesus, at
age twelve, is wrestling with who he is, with the question of his identity.
This is an important story in many ways because it serves as a bridge between Jesus’
birth and the beginning of his public ministry. It’s the only account we have in all the Bible of
Jesus’ “hidden years,” his time as a child, youth, or young adult. The next time we hear about
him is almost two decades later as he launches his public ministry with John the Baptist. So it’s
interesting to take note of the topic of this story; which is the question of Jesus’ identity. Jesus
is struggling, sorting out, and remembering who he is. Jesus’ actions are based upon the
beginnings of an awakening within himself. With such an awakening comes a desire to learn
and act in ways that increasingly are separate from those of his parents. This is what often
happens in adolescence, isn’t it? This is the stage in life when we are given the grace of
growing reflection, self-awareness, and an alertness to dimensions of ourselves that before we
were unaware of. Didn’t most of us, during adolescence, need to know and prove things for
ourselves? Isn’t it a time of figuring out who we are?
Although this experience is most heightened during adolescence, the experience of
awakening to “who we are” need not be limited to this period in our lives. Do we allow this
“wakefulness” to remain active even past adolescence, further releasing a sense of self in us?
Do we continue to explore the undiscovered depths of who we are? Or, do we choose to shut
down, to give up this journey and close ourselves off to such awakenings, instead preferring
shallow answers and partial truths about the mystery of life and our place in it? The journey of
self-discovery is really a life-long process.
Spiritually, this journey is related to appreciating what it means to be made in the image
of God, to be “children of God.” The Bible tells us that creation is “good” and it affirms that all
of creation, including you and me, is God’s first love: “For God so loved the world, that God
gave us His only son.” So, the Bible reminds us that “blessing” speaks the truth about our
identity more than curse. We make mistakes, we are sinners, yes, but deeper yet, there’s
beauty, grace, dignity, and the divine in all of us – and all around us – if we are willing to
remember it. The problem is often we forget. This deeper truth about ourselves becomes
covered over in lies, confused and warped. Uncertainties, trials, poor theology, other false
voices lead us astray. There are places in our souls that can become haunted by the self-doubts
and the failures of our lives.
But we have been given the gospel to liberate us from this falseness. The gospel does
not deny the power of the lies that can grip us, the seriousness of their grasp, the darkness we
may choose to walk in, or the selfish, destructive currents in life, but instead, the gospel calls us
back to a deeper, sometimes hidden truth. Deeper than any falseness in us is the truth of
God’s image. The gospel has been given to us to name and confront the destructive energies
within and without – with the certainty that the redemptive graces of God’s life planted at the
core of who we are - are stronger than these other forces.
The tension in which Jesus lived, is a tension in which we are all invited to live. It is the
tension Annie’s mother and Annie - heading out to her first dance - struggled with. At times we
can act in ways that reflect our true identity – we choose well between good and evil. We live
responsibly, joyfully, maturely, playfully, humbly, passionately, persistently and boldly – we
embrace beauty and seek the truth. We work with God to make heaven here on earth. When
these things are happening we are being reconciled with God and our truest nature. But at
other times, we act as if we have forgotten who we are. We act irresponsibly, selfishly, cruelly,
disrespectfully, immaturely, and choose poorly. Often the difference between why we act one
way or the other boils down to the question what we believe about ourselves. It boils down to
our self-image – how we see our place in this universe - who we say we are.
Because it can be easy to forget this deeper truth about our lives, it can be very helpful
to be in the company of others who also seek to remember that we are made in the image of
God. A few years after the youth group trip, I visited a shut-in of this same congregation, her
name was Anne, and she happened to be the great grandmother of the young girl who went to
this dance. Anne was a remarkable woman – a real pillar of the church, a teacher, a leader, an
inspiration for many. She had a good heart and was very devoted to her church, her family, and
her faith. At the time I knew her she was living in a home for the aged, limited in what she
could do but still very interested in everything that was going. She was the type of person who
– when went to visit her, you were the one uplifted and inspired.
During this visit Anne shared with me how she was blessed through her involvement in
the congregation over the years. She mentioned all the young pastors from BU who served the
church who she had gotten to know and from whom she had learned so much. It was a great
visit. When I got ready to leave, I offered a prayer. After praying together she told me how
much she appreciated the visit, she looked me in the eye and holding my hand said to me – can
any of you guess? “Remember who you are.” It was a blessing of sorts, a parting word of
wisdom. It was a tender moment between a long-time church leader and her young pastor.
She shared with me the same words I had heard a few years before exchanged between her
granddaughter and her great granddaughter. Anne’s words to me said the same thing – if you
remember who you are, remember your background, training, values, all you’ve learned about
life and yourself – and trust what you can find deep in your heart – you’ll be all right.
What a blessing and powerful sense of connection across the generations. I knew when
I walked home from visiting this 90 year old woman, where that anxious mother had heard
these words of advice. She remembered them and chose to pass them on to her daughter at
that important time: “remember who you are.” This is a good advice for all of us – to
remember who we are and whose we are – and to trust it. Amen
Trinity United Methodist Church, Springfield, MA
Rev. John E. Mueller