Monday's look back

Ok, perhaps this is tuesday's look back, but here it is with a little add on.

The Heart of Christianity: Who are you?"

"You are the salt of the earth... you are the light of the world."
Who tells you who you are? Do your parents? Does your boss? How about your teacher, or your children, your spouse? Does the market tell you that you are not enough? Does anyone tell you that you are  too much? Who tells you who you are?
Jesus gathered with his friends and said, you are not what they will try to turn you into. You are not what they will paint you out to be. You are who God says you are. You are salt, invisibly within, perserving, taste-giving. You are light, making visible what can't be seen, giving light to darkness.
The Heart of Christianity is an identity given not by anyone, even ourselves, but given by God, and that is such a good thing.
Here is an addendum, a lovely stroll down a slightly different path. Billy Collins writes about our identity, the things we are and the things we are not in "Litany." Check out the Youtube link as well

You are the bread and the knife,

the crystal goblet and the wine.

You are the dew on the morning grass

and the burning wheel of the sun.

You are the white apron of the baker

and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.

However, you are not the wind in the orchard,

the plums on the counter,

or the house of cards.

And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.

There is just no way you are the pine-scented air.

It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,

maybe even the pigeon on the general's head,

but you are not even close

to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.

And a quick look in the mirror will show

that you are neither the boots in the corner

nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.

It might interest you to know,

speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,

that I am the sound of rain on the roof.

I also happen to be the shooting star,

the evening paper blowing down an alley,

and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.

I am also the moon in the trees

and the blind woman's tea cup.

But don't worry, I am not the bread and the knife.

You are still the bread and the knife.

You will always be the bread and the knife,

not to mention the crystal goblet and--somehow-- the wine.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVu4Me_n91Y