What is your vision of maturity? I have often returned to this question from Willie James Jennings over the past year. The process has forced me to grapple with the powerful squeeze of culture and context on me. From early on we have absorbed a vision of being a person from our families, friends, teachers, professions and politics that remains largely unchallenged. It’s so unchallenged that our churches find it difficult and at times even impossible to challenge the individualism in which we have been steeped. We all want to be kings and queens; its our divine right. Being in control, being powerful, is driven largely by fear covered in a veneer of pride. All the while our souls are hollowed out and the name of God is taken in vain. And so, a vision becomes a myth shaping us and yet remaining elusive. To step out of that cultural or family mythology of identity though is to risk exile and alienation from someone and some body of people.
Recently I have delighted in watching my children and myself react to brothers and sisters in Christ coming to Vancouver from around the world who have a different vision of mature human persons. Sometimes their vision lived out means that they show up in Vancouver without knowing where they are going live. Like live tonight. What a gift! They are following Jesus and living into what my friend Miller says about Jesus. His mantra goes something like this: “Don’t you know, Jesus runs the largest hotel and accommodation chain in the world! Craig, why are you staying in hotels, when followers of Jesus have space in their homes?”
To actually read the words of Jesus and adopt them as our vision of a mature person, as a vision for ourselves means we risk humiliation, shame, and rejection. It means we may become taken up in the needs of other people for a time. It means the transgression against our agenda is going to inconvenience other people. Jesus was totally aware of this. For he said things like, “Blessed are those of you who are persecuted for righteousness sake.” “Blessed are those who are persecuted for my name’s sake.” And, “You cannot be my disciple unless you deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” “You cannot be my disciple unless you hate your mother, father, brother and sister.” In spite of these “cannot’s” Jesus fully expected that it was possible to have an identity rooted in Him and flowing from belonging in HIs family. He fully expected that He was forming a people who would be able to do His will. He says, “Who are mother and my brothers? Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Jesus fully expected to reclaim persons and create a people who were human.
I have found my best mentors are the ones who encourage me to be more human as Jesus envisioned being human. This week is our annual Kindness Week at UBC. So, in honour of the UBC Kindness Week, I invited Jean Vanier to be my companion on my drives across the city. I’ve been listening to his 1998 Massey Lectures: Becoming Human. The five lectures form an awesome and challenging vision of being human. He speaks of
Loneliness
Belonging
From Exclusion to Inclusion: The Path of Healing
The Path to Freedom
Forgiveness.
You can check out the audio CD’s from the library or listen at the links above. (The CBC Audio Player only has four links available.)
Or, you can order the book based on the lectures, Becoming Human.