Most of us have been hearing a lot lately about ‘identity politics.’ Well, I certainly don’t want to speak about politics, but there is no doubt that many suffer from an identity crisis. Have you ever wondered, or even asked the questions, “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What is my purpose in life?”
Such thoughts can often discourage someone who does not immediately find the answers to such questions. But rest assured God knows who you are, and you have been created with purpose. The psalmist declared in Psalm 139:13-14, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows right well.”
Each, and every one of us is a distinct Divine creation of God who has been uniquely made. We are diverse in our nature, characteristics and attributes. Rarely are any two of us alike. And because we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” be assured that God did not make any junk, whether we think so of ourselves, or of someone else.
The words “fearfully and wonderfully” mean that we were created to be respected by others; thus, we should show proper respect to others as we desire to be respected by them. We should learn to value each other rather than to judge each other.
Have you ever looked at someone else and thought, “Man, they are really weird?” Some years ago, I was in Kansas City, Missouri to attend a convention. I ran into an old friend and we stopped to talk. He pointed to another man and asked, “Do you know him?” Answering in the affirmative, he then said, “He is so weird!”
After a few moments he walked away, and the other man came over to me. He said, “I saw you talking to John. Don’t you find him to be a little weird?”
Well, what is weird? Just because someone looks and talks different than you, has different customs and habits than you, dresses different than you, or does anything else different than you does not mean that they are weird. It may be that there was a difference in the family dynamic, or the difference in which they were raised. It may be that their social or economic situation caused them to have the personality that they do. Again, this is where we must learn to value one another.
Our strength is often founded in our diversity. That which is true of a community is also true of a nation. We are strong when we join-together and value one another as the people God has created. Find the good and positive in others and learn to celebrate our differences. Who knows, if we have the proper respect for one another we may learn to really like those who we presently do not understand.
-Jerry L. Dunn, Oak Street Baptist Church
