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 Resources What Do You Think? April 2008
What Do You Think?
April 2008
"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."
-- Judy Garland
Just last evening I had posted an entry on my CommonPlace blog based
on the above quote. This morning I followed up with an entry headed by scripture text from Judges chapter 9. Then, as I prepared
to update the Holy Redeemer website, I read Pastor's comments on individuals and our desire to customize everything, including
our religion/spirituality. It seems to me that God has once again been weaving the threads into a common tapestry.
Upon reading Ms. Garland's quote, I thought "What sage advice." God has made each one of us unique, providing various gifts and talents
to each. He does indeed want us to recognize that each of us is uniquely special to Him and individually cared for by Him. In fact,
we serve the world best when we use the gifts He has given us to be a first-rate version of ourselves rather than trying to be something
we're not. In imitating another or desiring to be more like someone else, we can only be a second-rate version of what God already
created. And, in so doing, we discard our own God-given uniqueness so that we are no longer a first-rate version of ourselves.
In my follow-up entry, I referenced a parable from Judges which seems to suggest that we should know our individual place in the world
and not angle toward "something greater".
"One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.' But the olive tree
answered, 'Should I give up my oil, by which gods and men are honored, to hold sway over the trees?'"
-- Judges 9:8-9 (NIV)
The parable goes on to say that the fig tree and the grapevine each responded similarly when asked to be king of the trees. They already
had their place in the world. They knew what it was and didn't wish to be a second-rate king of trees when they could continue to be
first-rate fruit bearers.
Does all of this then suggest that we should be individuals to the point of having our own religion, tailor made for us and us alone?
If God has so blessed us to be individually made and cared for, wouldn't He also desire that we commune with Him on an individual basis,
in ways that best match our own gifts? In ways that "feel right" to us? Well, God certainly does want us to commune with him individually,
but not to the point of forsaking the "community of believers". Consider this passage from Romans:
"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of
yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many
members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs
to all the others."
-- Romans 12:3-5 (NIV)
In our church, we have a collage or mosaic picture made up of many family portraits taken for our last directory. When you stand back
far enough from this picture, you see a picture of Jesus. When you move closer, you can make out the individual family portraits. I think
this picture is a good representation of what is happening in our world today. As individuals, we take a myopic view and recognize
only our individual pictures. We see ourselves at the center - much like old scientists saw the Earth as the center of the universe.
Perhaps we see a few of the trees around us; but God sees the entire forest. God sees us as individuals, but more important to Him
is the picture we make together.
Yes, we are individuals, each uniquely created by God for a specific purpose. But in His purpose for us, God always includes others.
What do you think?
Jeff Hand (jhand@isualum.com)
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