Becoming What We Are

Becoming What We Are

Psalm 8 ESV

Reading from Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening

A sermon delivered by the Rev. Dr. Randy K. Hammer on January 26, 2020

“What is man . . .?” (Psalm 8:4)

“What is man?” is the question the Psalmist asks and then seeks to answer.  At first glance, it may seem to be an easily-answered question.  But is it really?  Are we humans different, distinctive, in a class all by ourselves when considered alongside the rest of creation?  The author of at least one of the creation stories in Genesis most certainly thought so: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” God said.  So “in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-27 ESV). 

So the psalmist picks up the thought from Genesis chapter 1 when he says, “You have made him [man] a little lower than the heavenly beings [or, than God] and crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5).  So according to traditional theology, the hierarchy is God, angels or heavenly beings, man and woman, and then the rest of creation down below.  So as man and woman, we are special, we are unique, we are in a class all by ourselves.  So goes the traditional Judeo-Christian theology.

But then along comes scientific advancement, Charles Darwin, and the discovery of the process of evolution, challenging the idea that different aspects of creation were created in a six-day period as traditional theology had taught it, while suggesting that all life forms on the earth, including humans, evolved and became more complex and more intelligent over the course of millions of years. 

So in the minds of some, humans were no longer viewed as being separate from, distinct from, more important than other aspects of creation; but rather, akin to all other life forms upon the earth.    Naturalist John Muir fell into this camp, I believe, in that Muir wrote, “Man must be made conscious of his origin as a child of Nature. Brought into right relationship with the wilderness he would see that he was not a separate entity endowed with a divine right to subdue his fellow creatures and destroy the common heritage, but rather an integral part of a harmonious whole. . . .  Why should man value himself as more than a small part of the one great unit of creation?” Muir asked.¹

Granted, with man and woman’s intellectual advancement and the ability to reason and plan and make informed decisions, it falls to us to be responsible, sacred caretakers of the rest of creation.

So what are man and woman?  We may have thought that the author of Genesis and the Psalmist answered that question once and for all.  But did they?  Do we not still wrestle with the true nature of humanity and how we fit into the overall scheme of the world and universe?  What is man?

But let’s look at the topic from another standpoint.  By looking at the subject from a slightly different angle, “Who am I?” is the perennial, ever-pressing question, is it not?  As Mark Nepo has reminded us, “We are born with only one obligation – to be completely who we are. . . .  Most of our searching is looking for ways to discover who we already are.”²  In other words, our life’s calling is to discover who we uniquely are inside, and then  to become that person that we are, the person that we were created to be.  Discovering and becoming who we are is the greatest blessing in life, while trying to be someone that we are not can result in the greatest misery. 

In another of his books, Nepo observes that a fish is created to swim, a tree is created to grow toward the light, and a flower is created to bloom.  And Nepo observes, “We are part of nature too, and so, our quest for purpose begins with knowing our natural gifts.  Then our life’s work becomes the inevitable journey of becoming what we already are. . . .  While we can force ourselves to become something we’re not, it never ends well.”³  

And so, this means that we should not chart a course in life for the purposes of fame, fortune or prestige, if that course goes against our inherent nature and the person we are.  In other words, one whose nature is to be an artist probably should not become an attorney.  One who is at heart a gifted writer and can’t endure the sight of blood probably shouldn’t aspire to become a surgeon.  One who is a gifted teacher might be miserable as an accountant.  And so on.  It is up to each of us to discover our own personality DNA, so to speak, so as to pursue the path in life that for us is most natural and soul satisfying.

Many of us are first pressed to answer the “Who am I?” question as adolescents or teenagers, as we struggle with our personal identity and what we want to do with our lives.  As a young teenager, I had a dream of what I wanted to be when I came of age, but over time that dream faded as it didn’t seem to match up with reality or the realm of possibility.  So for four or five years I found myself searching, not really knowing who I was and what I wanted to do or should do with my life.  Then at the age of 21, my vision seemed to come into sharper focus as I felt drawn or called to preaching and ministry.  So with a new, sharpened vision in view, I gave my all to making the necessary preparations to pursue full-time Christian ministry. 

But the ever-pressing “Who am I?” question is not answered once and for all, is it?  It is a question we must keep asking ourselves and trying to answer time and again throughout our lives.  I don’t know about you, but throughout different periods in my life I have had to re-evaluate and revisit and try to answer again the “Who am I?” question; periods when I had to refocus and refine my sense of selfhood, as my perceptions of who am I and what my personal theology is, and what type of ministry I feel called to have shifted somewhat over the decades.

The truth is, our sense of self, who we see ourselves to be, changes over time as we have new experiences, meet new people, visit other places, enjoy training or advanced education, read life-changing books, and so on.  As we age, as we move from phase to phase in our lives, and as life circumstances around us change, we are constantly being faced with the need to visit again and redefine the “Who am I?” question.  As we have children, then as we experience the empty nest when our children leave home, as we have grandchildren, as we lose by death a parent or someone else close to us, as we face retirement, and then as we reach the golden years, we have to address anew the “Who am I?” question.  As our station in life and roles in life change, so do our self perception and our need to understand anew who we are.

In our church, and in the City of Oak Ridge in general, a lot of our members are retired.  Moving from a lifetime of work and a daily routine into a life of retirement can pose a significant challenge for many people since one’s personal identity and sense of self is so vitally connected to our work, profession, or what we do.  After retirement, it is not uncommon for some people to wander aimlessly or fall into depression, since that sense of self and personal identity tends to change overnight.  And so the question, “Who am I?” can become a pressing and perplexing question.  If my identity is no longer tied to my life’s work or profession, then who am I?

Mark Nepo has an answer for this question, I think.  If I read him correctly, he is suggesting that our sense of self is connected to and validated by truly living in the present moment.  Nepo says, “Regardless of what you do for a living, the only important vocation is listening to the heart when it says: this is vital, this is alive, this can’t be lost.”⁴  In other words, the question having to do with “what I am?”or “who am I?” has to do with what I am doing and who I am with in the present moment.  To illustrate, if I am on an outing with my child or grandchild, the who am I? answer is I’m a parent or grandparent, and being present in this moment is the thing that matters.  If I am visiting a sick friend in the hospital, the who am I? answer is I’m a friend conveying concern, love and compassion, and being fully present in that moment is the thing that matters.  If I am volunteering at one of the agencies in town that addresses human need, then who  I am at that moment is a volunteer who needs to be present with the people I am serving.

And so, when all is said and done, the “What is man?’ and “Who am I?” questions are questions that we all are forced to confront and answer time and time again throughout our lives.  Because as we change and as life circumstances change, and as we acquire greater knowledge, our answer changes.  Discovering who we are and becoming what we are is a never-ending journey.  May we have the wisdom and the grace to navigate that journey well as we continually seek to address the “What am I?” and “Who am I?” questions.  May it be so.  Amen.

¹John Muir, Son of the Wilderness: The Life of John Muir, and A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf.

²Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening.  Newburyport, MA: Red Wheel, 2020, pp. 11, 22.

³Mark Nepo, The One Life We’re Given.  New York: Atria, 2016, pp. 62, 63.

⁴Mark Nepo, The One Life We’re Given, p. 88.