What is identity? And what are the levels of what we find identity in?
People may treat the word "identity" as "belonging" and label their personhood to a group that they may have an affinity for. Examples may be Gay & Lesbian, Catholic mass, skaters, surfers, or Disneyland-goers. People belong in these groups and so find identity in them. An example is E.T. who did not find identity on Earth but sought it on his home-world where he was from. There are many additional facets to identity, but this is a good way to think about it and belonging will suit our purposes for now. To begin to think more about these questions, let's turn to the story of Philemon in the Bible.
The Epistle of Philemon is a letter from Paul to his friend Philemon regarding a slave named Onesimus. Onesimus had run away from the eye of Philemon, and after a series of events that we do not know became a Christian under the teachings of Paul. Paul then sent Onesimus back with this letter, which pleads for his release. Onesimus was a man who knew what it felt like to not belong. In his culture just running marked you for life. You would not be welcomed, you would be looked down upon. But Paul understood that Jesus' teachings meant something very different than the teachings of culture. Jesus taught to view all people as equal, and to bring the lowliest into community. Paul taught Onesimus to find identity and belonging in how Christ viewed him. Scripture tells us that God looks upon us as His children. We, by our mere humanity are counted into the divine because of the work of Christ.
Humans seek out security in life, that is why we easily fall prey to fear and social trends. We desire to find belonging and groups to identify as our own, because without these some of us would have nothing to call our own. Belonging helps to give us some self-identification. Knowing you are a child of God completes this. What would one ever need to fear if it was true the Creator of all the universe loved you and cherished you as a father with his child? Thieves? No. Car wrecks? No. Lost phones or wallets? No. In everything we give praise and glory to God because He has called us His. Could one need more security than that? How could any require more belonging than to the creator? Onesimus found complete identity in Christ and was able to courageously return to his old master, knowing he now had a greater master.
Rembrandt's portrayal of the Prodigal Son is expressive of identity. This one last story I have to share truly frames The Father's love and assures us of our identity as children of The Father. The Hebrew culture, especially at the time of Jesus, was one of many honor-based cultures. This meant everyone knew their place and pursued the honor of their society by falling into place. And here we have the prodigal son, one who had the gall to ask his perfectly healthy father for his inheritance, in cash, to take away with him. A son just doesn't leave the authority of his father, that was unheard of! Yet this arrogant kid went off galavanting in "Vegas," functionally separating himself from his father. When his cash finally dwindled he had hit rock bottom. He had no savings, no family, no where to belong. He decided that his best course of action was to ask to live as a hired servant of his father. Scripture says that "while he was still a long way off, the father ran to meet him." Running, especially of an elder was unheard of in both ancient Hebrew and Greek cultures, yet the father ran. The father risked shaming himself to rescue his son from the shame of the community. This is what Jesus does with us. Rembrandt shows us the inelegantly dressed prodigal resting in his father's embrace. Jesus, like the father, brings us back into the community and guards us from shame. This is the security we can expect in Jesus.
The identity given us by God is that we are loved and cherished children so that we may not fear, but live confidently in Him.
