Sometimes it is hard to remember who you are.
There is just so much noise.
There is just so much to do.
There are just so many voices vying for attention.
There is just so much negativity.
There is just so much to worry about.
There are just so many distractions.
In the midst of it all, it is really hard to remember who you are. And it all seems to move so fast.
In the Gospel of Mark, we have a similar fast moving story that takes the reader through Jesus' baptism, his temptation in the desert, and his proclamation of the kingdom of God. This is where it all begins for the author. Listen to the voice of God through this reading from Mark.
"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news'" (Mark 1:9-15 - NRSV).
Before Jesus goes through a trying situation . . .
before he faces the pressing crowds . . .
before he begins preaching publicly . . .
before he heals a single person . . .
before he feels the demands of others . . .
before any of this he is marked with water. The heavens part. And a proclamation about identity is made. The voice said, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
So,
What if . . .
What if we took time to listen to that same voice before we succumbed to the pressures?
What if we took time to remember who we are before we started out into the busyness of our day?
What if we took time to recall our core identity before we allow our minds to be scattered with the worries of the day?
What if we took time to center ourselves with the truth of how we are identified by the divine before we listen to any of the other voices?
Would anything change? If so, what would change and in what way would it change?
Remember, you are God's child, the Beloved; with you God is well pleased.
This is who you are. And nothing can ever change that.
