Devotion - Tuesday, October 4

A fellow campus pastor related a story to me.  He was with a diverse group of students, from a variety of spiritual identities.  

He noted that the Muslim students identified themselves as Muslim.  The Jewish students as Jewish. The Hindu as Hindu.

When the person who had come from a Protestant background was speaking, they often would say something like, "Well, I was raised....., but now I am not sure what I believe....."

The heartbreak in such a self-introduction is that it hints at a loss of identity.  The fear is that the person perceives themselves lost an alone as they explore.

My friend wanted them to understand that they are no more active in exploring theological particulars than the Buddhist or Muslim student sitting next to them.  He wanted them to realize that part of the identity as Protestant Christians is questioning and exploring.  He wanted them to realize that their identity was not stripped from them because they were striving to understand the intricacies of Christian thought.

Our identity as followers of Jesus sets us lose in the world to explore the world and the people who live in it.  Our identity is firm and will not be removed when we find ourselves disagreeing with another member of the family.  Our identity is a given as we seek to understand.