We Don't Need No Stinkin' . . .

We sometimes wear our inclusion in certain groups as a badge: Lutheran, Catholic, Union worker, Republican, Evangelical, and heterosexual, for example (This is NOT my badge, just examples). All of these labels serve to categorize our indentity and focus our ideals. While none of these titles is necessarily bad, it's all too easy to allow them to muddy the waters of our true self-worth, esteem, and identity.
When meeting someone, one of the first questions we inevitably ask is, "What do you do?" We know that our job occupies a large amount of our time and effort. What I struggle with is: Does, or rather-Should-my job define who I am? As I've written before, who I am becoming is more important than what I am doing. I believe that God is more concerned with our character than our job title.
So, how do I label myself? What identification should I carry? My friend would call me 'religious.' Whatever that means, I'm not sure. I guess I would concede 'devout,' but otherwise, I generally identify the term 'religious' with 'mindless regularity.' Hence, you can be religious about anything: smoking, eating, filling up your car with gas, cursing, etc. Therefore, I'd rather not flash the religious badge to anyone. Rather, I hope that my identity is 'a work in progress.' 'Under construction' would be my street sign. I saw a great t-shirt the other day that read, "MEDICATED: for YOUR protection." That's fitting for me (pun intended). While I think everyone is a work in progress; some aren't really cognizant of it and do not seem to be aware of their effect on others. This does not make me a better person necessarily, but I do hope I have an above average level of self-awareness. So, what badge would you find on me if you were to conduct a 'wallet biopsy?' I have a Union Card. I have a driver's license. I hold an NIU student OneCard. I even have an ordained minister I.D. I carry an Illinois Firearm Owner IDentification (FOID), but I neither own, nor have I ever really discharged, a gun. There's a gym membership that should be cancelled for obvious reasons. None of these define me, though. You will find some things in my wallet which do characterize me: pictures. From the photos I carry, you'll discover I am a son, a grandson, a brother, a step-brother, and an Uncle--to my sister's son and to my best friend's twins. Finally, you would also find some scripture memory cards. These define me, too. They denote that I am committed to learning: learning who God wants me to be becoming. That's not a typo either. These little, business-sized cards with words that remind, scold, encourage, and challenge me don't make me religious. Hopefully, they keep me humble--humble enough to admit that my identity is really found somewhere else--somewhere intangible: in religion. "But wait!" you ask. "Didn't you just say that you avoided the religious moniker?" Yep.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

So, if you've never seen me before, I'm not hard to find. Look for the sign "Under Construction." I'll be the guy reading the inside of his wallet because I just screwed up again. It's OK to approach me. Don't worry: I am medicated, for YOUR protection.








Ben Wilcox