Personal identity says, “I am who I am and I will be who I will be,” just as YHVH’s identity says, “I AM WHO I AM and I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE.”
Who will win when there is a clash of identities?
John 6:59-61
These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble?
Jesus was the “Senior Pastor” of a large congregation following Him. They were ultra-fans of His teachings, and they travelled from “conference” venues to “crusade” grounds to hear Him… until He said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.”
“Unthinkable! Unreasonable! A false teacher! A cultic movement! That’s not who I am, what my worldview is, how I was taught, how I feel, or who I will be!”
The thread that ties personal identity to the truths of Jesus’ community was finally torn to shreds.
As a result of this, many of His disciples withdrew and stopped walking with His community; they left His chat group and social network. Love, relationship, and attesting miracles, even the promise of “zōē” life, could not hold them in the community, simply because Jesus presented an unfathomable doctrine, and made an unreasonable demand, that they could not identify with, agree to, or rationalise themselves to do, which were required of them to accept and obey in order to be a part of Jesus’ community.
By the end of the day, what was a fine and dandy groupies fan club of Jesus was left with a true community for those who chose “I AM WHO I AM” over “I am who I am”, so that “I will be who I will be” in submission to the community standards of “I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE”.
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life that make my identity and my community life true for me. We could go back to our family community; we could go back to our fishing community; but we have left everything to identify with You and Your called-out ones for a common destiny.”
Do two men walk together unless they have made an agreement? (c.f. Amos 3:3) Sociologically speaking, when there is a conflict of personal identities, all else are thrown out of the window, because thought patterns, relationships, discipleship, and mission in life are based on personal identity which one holds dear. Even Jesus’ disciples, not just fans, took offence and left Jesus. And what about Judas Iscariot, whose “I am who I am and I will be who I will be” made him a pilferer of the community money box? For thirty pieces of silver that spoke to his identity, he threw Jesus and his friends under the bus despite having three years of intimate relationship and communion with them.
So, what has love got to do with it when identity clashes become existentially personal?
Until there is a change in personal identity to align fully with community identity, agreeing to disagree would simply paper over identity fault-lines until the next tectonic shift happens. What will be shaken will be shaken, and the damage along these fault-lines will be great when it happens. Where will our fans be then?
If Jesus had pandered to personal identities, He would not have taught what He had taught, or demanded what He had demanded, for people to remain in His circle. People would have continued to follow Him. If this was the case, Jesus would be an entertainer with large crowds entrenched in their own personal identities, not a Shepherd with hook, line, and sinker sold-out disciples sharing in the common identity of His community.
Jesus exposed, and sought to bridge, identity differences with testing truths. Likewise, we must train the people to accept hard truths which their personal identities reject, and submit their personal identities as body-members to the corporate identity and demands of the body-community. When this happens, they will be truly rooted and united in the church – in Spirit, in truth, in communion, in mission, and in bonds of love without dissonance of identity.
Do we have ultra-fans seeking their own satisfaction or true followers sold-out to the community in our churches?
How many of your church members or ministry community will walk with you when deceptions and tribulations test their personal identities and self-preservation to the limits? [Don’t wait for the rooster to crow three times before you find out.]
Do we have the teaching grace combined with pastoral wisdom, prophetic discernment, and apostolic discipline to transform groupies into true disciples, and turn [your church name] fan club into a true body-community of Christ?
Post-Script
In a talk show, there is live singing to which you can immerse in the vibes; there is a host with whom you identify more than other shows, until the host presents a view that you can no longer identify with; there are interesting contents from which you can learn a thing or two, but leave no impact after a day or two; and you walk away feeling fuzzy, charged, and satisfied in your inner being, until you return to real life outside the auditorium (or YouTube Live).
Our church members are better than that, right? Right?
Thus, the kind of people who gather in your hall will determine whether you are a fivefold minister or a talk show host.
For further analysis, please read Personal Calling, Corporate Destiny.
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