Contemplation: Finding the place in you where you are here and now being created by God. Thomas Merton.
This weeks contemplation: Identity.
I think most clearly in pictures.
I have always had quite a vivid imagination.
My ability to daydream is unparalleled. As a child, when my mother saw that I had gone into a daydream, she would say, “You’ve gone into Zaraland—come back!”
In the past, my imagination used to run away to places I didn’t want to go, taking me with her.
On one particular occasion I was reading a book about a dare devil stunt (my heart races just thinking about this moment).
The man attached meat hooks into the flesh of his back, the other end tethered to a helicopter, and proceeded to fly through the air over the Nevada desert, his skin his only harness.
While describing this stunt to my parents, even as the words, “How cool is this?” left my mouth, the world spun, became black, and I fainted right into my chair.
Like I said, a vivid imagination.
But there are so many beautiful ways my imagination has served me too. My natural descriptive writing ability is one of them (this Substack, a willing participant).
I have found my ability to see in pictures particularly helpful when thinking about complex concepts.
So a couple of years ago, when a friend asked me to tell her what I thought Identity meant, this picture came to mind.
I thought of a house.
A house has many components; a foundation, floor, walls, and roof.
There are rooms and doors and curtains.
Each room has its own function, and a front door to let people in.
I believe that the meaning and practice of Identity is like a house.
A new series: The House Identity Built
Over the next few months, I will be unpacking each element of what I think Identity is built with (other posts interspersed through out the series too).
While this exploration is from the perspective of the Christian faith, I will end each week with questions for both believers and non believers alike.
Identity is part of every human being, and it’s my belief that if one part of our identity (or one part of our structure) is off, the whole self (or house) is in danger of collapsing.
The blueprint of the Identity House.
Let’s take a quick look at our Identity House so you know what’s coming up over the next few weeks and months.
The Foundation
The foundation of a house is the most important part—if you build your house on sand, the rain and storms of life will wash it away. Let’s start by building on a good, solid rock (nothing will be able to wash us away).
The Ground Floor
Different from the foundation, the floor is laid with bricks, tiles, timber and carpet— our value and worth. The house can be beautiful on the outside, but if its floors are dirt (if you have a bad view of yourself), then its not a comfortable dwelling and you are left exposed.
The Walls
The walls are built from how we’ve lived our lives; experiences we’ve had, our upbringing, family and friends. Cracks can appear in the walls from trauma and hurt, so it’s imperative to seek a remedy each one for a secure structure.
The Roof
This is the part that keeps all the parts of our identity together and sheltered from the storms of life. This is how we seek to “go higher” in our lives. The roof is a weighty thing, unless the walls are strong (we’re healing from hurts) then the roof is in danger of collapsing (our ability to live out our lives to higher levels of virtue is compromised).
The Rooms
This is the fun part. Each room is designed and furnished for a different purpose. These are our gifts and callings.
The Gardens
This is the place for beauty and excellence. Pursuing these things in how we act, look, create, is all part of being a complete being. Allowing beauty to permeate our lives is vitally important and is the final outworking of a whole and secure identity.
The Front Door
It is my belief that our ultimate purpose and calling as human beings is to live and serve others in community. You can have the most beautiful house, but if there is no life inside, no community gathering around a table in the heart of the home, it is a cold place. The front door is our ability to let people in, a sorely sought after gift these days.
So, welcome to The House Identity Built.
I hope that my imaginative exploration of the varying elements of identity serve you as you reflect on your our life and being.
I am in no way an expert in this, so I will be learning and growing right along with you.
with so much love,
x Zara