The We in Me

The road to being me is a journey that is often misunderstood. Because I live in a society in which I am indoctrinated with a focus on self-improvement, self-acceptance, self-help, and self-growth, the thought of another light shining on "being me" seems contradictory to the Biblical charge to "deny myself". The problem lies in the understanding of what denying myself means and it's relationship to community.

First, when Jesus shared that I was to "deny myself" He was not talking about stuffing myself out of sight in order to blend into a clone world of Jesus freaks. In fact the opposite is true. When I live in a world of true contemplation bathed in the light of the constant presence of God, I begin to be free from the fears of living lies and masks in order to be accepted by society and friends. This freedom to truly "be me" comes only from being with God honestly and openly and accepting His love. His presence breaks down those walls.

Secondly, as a contemplative I am not isolated in myself, but liberated from my external and egotistic masked self (the Biblical self denial) by humility and purity of heart (derived from a life of being with God). Therefore there is no longer any serious obstacle to simple and humble love of others. The more I am alone with God to learn how to be me, the more I am able to be my true self with others and the more freedom I have to unselfishly focus on serving people. I no longer have to fear what people think to cloud my service of love. I accept His love in order to channel that love to others.

So the opposite is true. To find the real me, I must sacrifice the masked me. When that false self with all it's fronts and pretenses is laid to rest, I can then live out of God's love freely to serve others. My life as a contemplative lived in an open world of serving others, leads to finding my true self and discovering others as we truly are. Here is the genuine reality of the free abundant life Jesus talked about!

Being me is meant to be experienced in the freedom and dynamic of being us.