Identity

by Angie Allport.

The UK Government is proposing the introduction of digital identity cards. Whilst the issue has sparked off yet another ‘for’ or ‘against’ debate, my thoughts have turned to the idea of identity, which, in itself, is a multi-layered, slippery concept. Who would people say you are? What defines you: gender, job, family, nationality, faith? Many use pseudo-identities for their online presence.  This can provide a level of protection through anonymity, but it also raises a question-mark about authentic identity. 

In the synoptic gospels, Jesus asks his disciples who people say he is (Matthew 16:15; Mark 8:27; Luke 9:18). According to the disciples, opinions are divided between him being John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Jesus then asks for their personal opinions, as though copying what others think is insufficient. As is always the case, we do not know how Jesus asked these questions, what tone he used. Was it a casual enquiry or was there a hint of challenge in his voice?

Unsurprisingly, Peter is reportedly the one who jumps in first.  He proclaims Jesus to be the Messiah.  This connects with all the religious hopes and predictions of a great leader sent by God from the family of King David – the one who will set the people free. The moment when Peter is willing to take the risk of saying this, of expressing his relationship with Jesus in what at the time would have been controversial terms, is the moment when he demonstrates both his faith in Jesus and his willingness to be involved in Jesus’ mission. In Matthew’s account, Peter is then given a new identifier, he is to be ‘the rock’, the foundation of the Church.

Peter ‘the rock’ is still Simon, son of Jonah, a flesh-and-blood person living in relationship with others. He is not a simple, one-dimensional character with only one function in the Christian story. It was this ‘rock’ of the Church who was to go on and deny three times knowing Jesus before rediscovering his call to witness. When we become Christians, we are no longer atheists, agnostics, non-beliers (or whatever other identifier we might use), but we are still a flesh and blood person living in relationship with others. We can still mess up but know ourselves forgiven and valued by God. As Peter found, recognising Jesus transforms us and brings clarity to our identity and calling.

We live in a society which is suspicious of people speaking about their faith, but Christians are nonetheless called to witness in the world. Just as a member of parliament belongs to a particular party yet is required to work on behalf of all their constituents, whatever their politics, so Christians – informed by the Church that nurtures them – must speak of God’s love and care for all people and our planet. How do you talk about Jesus to people outside church? Given the secularisation of society, we can no longer assume religious knowledge or opinion, meaning that many people are actually very interested to know what and why Christians believe; it’s the Christians who are often too afraid to say anything. Indeed, do people know if you are a Christian?

Each person is called to a fresh assessment of Jesus, not to copy what others think. That is what makes faith real for them. Jesus calls us to recognise his true, God-filled identity, to emulate it and to share it. This is modelled in the account of Jesus and the woman at the well (John 4:1-42). She (Photina in some traditions) encountered Jesus, wondered if he was the Messiah and invited the people to come and see the man who had told her everything about herself. They came to believe not because they copied her, but because they had their own encounter with Jesus and were able to identify him as the Saviour of the world for themselves.

When you think about how Jesus shapes your life, can you condense those thoughts to just a few words should someone ask you who Jesus is? Meditate on those words or other words so that they become part of you, so that if and when the subject comes up in conversation, you can testify to your experience of Jesus and the difference he has made to your identity.