Scripture: Matthew 16:25
All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will find them.
Thought for the Day: As I’ve said before, my favorite musical of all times is Les Miserables. There is a point when Valjean is forced to make a difficult decision. Someone else has been accused of doing something he did, and in the song, he says:
Who am I?
Can I condemn this man to slavery
Pretend I do not feel his agony
This innocent who bears my face
Who goes to judgement in my place
Who am I?
Valjean asks the difficult question, “Who am I?” Yet in the musical, he is not simply asking about his identity, but character. What kind of person am I?
Casting Crowns, a Contemporary Christian Band, has a song entitled: Who Am I. The song points out our identity in relationship to God. One section of the song asks,
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt?
Once again it is about finding one’s identity in one’s character. For Jesus, a person’s identity is found in the ability to give oneself away. In the Christ-like characteristic of giving away oneself we actually find ourselves. It might not make much sense, but in the Kingdom of God, the more we give away the more we have to give away – the more offer ourselves to others the more we find ourselves.
Prayer: Give me the courage, Holy Father, to give myself away as Jesus so beautifully showed. Amen.
FOR THIS SUNDAY
