"Being"

The verb "to be" is a weird one. In just about every language - maybe all of them, I don't know - it is an "irregular verb". Anyone remember what that means from school? It doesn't conjugate in a normal way; as a matter of fact, it changes throughout its conjugation: Present tense - I am, you are, he/she/it is; past tense - I was, you were, he/she/it was; future tense - I will be, you will be, we shall be...enough for the grammar. Enough to be said that it's a weird verb.

If we were to define the verb, it means, "to exist, to remain or continue, to come to or belong, to happen or occur". Of all of those words, I like "exist" the most. It comes from two Greek words "ex" and "istemi"; together they mean "to stand out". That's interesting to me when we think about what it means "to be" something - like a fireman, a nurse, a doctor, a secretary. It means that the one who is playing the role is "standing out" as that role.

There is a deeper meaning behind that, however: whatever role you play in life, you are still you and not the role itself. When you or I are "being" whatever role in our job, or another position in life, we are not really that role! That's interesting because one of the first questions I always ask someone when I meet for the first time is, "What's your name? What do you do?" - as if the role determined what kind of individual the person is.

What, then, does it mean "to be" the Church? First and foremost, it is a role that you and I play. Now, to play a role is an important thing. The better you play your role at a job, the better you get at the job, the more confidence the boss has in you. It's important to play all roles properly and with our best effort. The role does not tell who you are, however. Underneath the role is the real you, so "to be" Church is "to be" the real you.

All of this may sound weird, but think about it: let's say you like a nice juicy piece of bacon every once in a while, but are part of a community that does not condone it on moral/religious grounds. If you continue to be in that group, you will have to reveal "less than" your real self to the group. "To be" true to yourself, you will have to reveal that you are "a pork lover." Such a revelation can get you ousted from your community. Truly standing up for what you believe in can cause division in a community. I guess what I am insisting is that "being" the Church is a whole lot more involved than reciting a creed, or singing the right kind of hymns, or even confessing things with the right words. "Being" the Church is radically different! Being the Church means knowing that deep down you are loved by God; you are a child of God, and that realization has implications to change your whole outlook on life.

What do you think?

Peace,
Tim