Last week we concluded our October Outreach series by looking at how Christianity offers a more resilient identity for life. Yet forming an identity is not something people are taught how to do; it is rather imposed upon us by our culture. In his book ‘Sources of the Self’, author Charles Taylor says there are 2 basic approaches.
The ‘traditional identity’ is based on honour. It is found in serving your family, local community, nation or god. If you serve well, you are validated (deemed honourable) by those communities.
The ‘modern identity’ is rather found from within. Since Postmodernism says there is no absolute moral truth, your communities are not able to tell you what to do or who you are. Western culture tells us to look within and (i) determine our own dreams and aspirations, then (ii) validate ourselves on how we live up to them.
Yet the modern process forms very fragile identities. Since humans are relational beings, we cannot actually be our own validators. We must negotiate our identity with those around us. This is why Westerners now demand that those around us validate whatever identity we’ve chosen for ourselves, no matter how far-fetched it may be.
In 1 Cor 4:3-4, the Apostle Paul rejects both these identity formation processes, choosing rather to allow God to judge (validate) him. For a non-Christian, this is an even more crushing identity formation process, as God judges us as sinful rebels. But for Christians, this is absolutely liberating.
To begin with, as soon as we put our faith in Jesus, he takes away all our sin, guilt and shame. Yet at the same time, he bestows upon us His honour. This does not mean we become as honourable as Jesus. It means that God, the only person who really counts, now views us as having the same honour and righteousness as God the Son. How’s that for a resilient identity!
