Secret Identity

There comes a time when we decide it is ok to let the world know who we really are.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” - Matthew 3:13-17

For most of Jesus' life on earth, he kept his identity secret.

Before his baptism by John, he avoided the crowds and held back from showing the world what he had the power to do, unless pressed by his mom at Cana.

And afterwards, he would tell the recipients of his healing gifts not to share the details of what happened to them.

So, do you think he knew the Father was going to make a scene at his baptism?  Or was he as surprised as those who witnessed it?

Some of us strive for recognition.  We work hard and want everyone to know of our accomplishments.  We take pride in them.  They define us.

It is when the fame doesn't align with what we believe is truly worthy of admiration that we find the spotlight moment to be awkward or unwarranted.

Today we remember the fallen heroes (our term).  They went to work twenty years ago not expecting or even wanting to become famous, and especially not the way they did.

They were ordinary people doing an ordinary day's work, cut tragically short by acts of terrorism, orchestrated to take down our economy and our way of life.

We don't even know how heroic some were that morning.  We assume to know.  But none of the heroes of that day chose to reveal themselves as heroes.  They were just trying to survive and help others survive.

Isn't that was trying to teach us about ourselves?

Each of us has that power to help others survive.  It is in our makeup, our very genetic coding.  God made us in His image, and He is all about love of us and one another.

So, maybe in honor of all who have revealed that secret identity through the sacrifice of their own lives, we should seek to be baptized, brought into the light, revealing ourselves to God and the world as beloved children, willing to devote our lives to helping one another.

If we do that, we may just hear a sweet voice say, "In you, I am well pleased."

More to come...