After our Queen City Church meeting some college students interviewed me concerning the idea of personal identity. After answering their questions I began to think about how folks get their identities and how I've gotten mine.
As you can see from the photo we meet in the old Visulite Movie Theater in downtown Charlotte, NC, renting it each Sunday night. The theater has been converted into a band venue/bar which may be rented by traveling bands and acts of other ilk when they come through our neck of the woods. The theater advertises our weekly meeting on their marquee. This particular week we were sandwiched between 'Big Mama's Burlesque', and 'The Band of Heathens'. I don't know anything about the 'Band of Heathens' although that's a pretty good description of most of the folks who attend QCC, at least before they met Jesus. I have heard that 'Big Momma's Burlesque' is a group of strippers whose specialty is balloon dancing. The less any of us know about that the better. I only know that because the owner told me about them a while back. Bill Johnson told me that he pastored a church that met in a working cinema years ago. Once his church was advertised on their marquee just above the movie 'The God's Must be Crazy'. (He got a lot of interesting comments about that!.) It still doesn't beat our listing. One place I don't get my identity from is where we meet. It comes another way. None of us should get our identities from the external world, what we do, what people say about us, what we have, or what we've done or not done, what we look like or wished we looked like, or any of the many ways we may try to answer that all too significant question.
When asked by the young interviewers "Robin, where do you get your identity", I quickly answered, 'from being loved by Jesus.' I told them that like the apostle John, who described himself as 'the disciple whom Jesus loves', I too am the disciple whom Jesus loves. Turns out I am his favorite person. You may find that hard to believe, but its true. As I was waking up years ago the Lord once whispered to me, "Each of My children is My own personal favorite". His response captured my attention. His next comment gripped me as well; "but most don't believe it". I do believe it. You should believe that about yourself too. That's who you are. It will change your life.
