I’m making an assumption as I write this: we all crave community, but often we approach it from a position of neediness, and often not with a desire to create authenticity or invest ourselves. Here’s what I mean… have you ever experienced a friendship that continually felt like they were sucking the life from you? Why do you think that is? What do you think they needed from you? Have you ever had the sense in a conversation that you were able to be completely yourself? No one sets out to not be themselves… we end up saying something, or acting in a way that’s a bit odd, and then after the fact, we wonder why it is we did or said that.
As we approach the idea of community, whether you’re cultivating deeper connections among acquaintances, or if you’re out in the neighborhood, the hope is that you’re able to contribute your true self. A person who is in touch with their ‘true self’ is living from a place of knowing who they are and whose they are. Am I living as a child of God, created intentionally with the various facets of my personality? Or am I putting on a separate show of who I want people to see?
Have you encountered a truly genuine person? There is something magnetic about them isn’t there?
For the next weeks, I’d like to consider some aspects of community that begin with us living from a deep sense of ‘true self’.
To frame our exploration I’m going to pull some ideas from Paul Tillich, an American theologian and philosopher. I have been impacted by the forces he has identified that oppose ‘true self’:
3 FEARS
- Non-being
- Not measuring up
- Non-meaning
3 ILLUSIONS:
- What I do defines me (or my success)
- What I have defines me (or my possessions)
- What others do, have, or think about me defines me (or comparison)
How would you define your ‘true self’?
Are you aware of ways that you live that aren’t consistent with your true self?
Message (500 Character Limit)uhhh
Tnahks for sharing. What a pleasure to read!
True Self? how can it truly be defined? As I look at it, it seems to be true to yourself, and true to Gods calling in you. In community it’s often hard to find that area where it doesn’t matter how you feel about faith. It’s like you choose to be that person that fits in because of how Andy put it “fearing castration.”
Are we aware? I would say “Yes” we all are. It’s like, do we choose to accept who we are and choose to use the facets God gave us to be our “True Self”!
you pose the question, “how would you define your true self.” and my answer is that not many people, sometimes myself included, know my true self. God does, as he sees the heart. And I mostly do, but that sometimes gets clouded by my own justifications, such as the ends justifying the means, or comparing myself to others and saying im not that bad. But mostly my true self is wrapped up inside my head, avoiding judgement, desiring acceptance, fearing castration–a cutting off so to speak.