Week 5 – Interaction with Jason Heppner (Barker Chp. 9)

“If our identity is found through our skin pigmentation, language, historical movements, etc. than how do we find our identity in Christ? Are we first a follower of Christ than an American or are we American first than a follower of Christ? “

I appreciate these questions that Jason has posed. Barker is silent on identity that individuals or communities of individuals may found on faith, religion, or spirituality. I would agree with the belief and approach to others that one’s identity comes from the image bearing that we all contain as the creation of the Father. However, to separate culture or place our ethnicity and image bearing as to what is primary is a difficult thing. One cannot bear the image of God without their ethnic expressions; we do not exist without them, nor are we faithful as to identity bearing to God without them. As a Filipino follower of Jesus, that person could not be faithful if they are not Filipino. That seems to be a given, but their faithful image bearing comes in part from their descent. Perhaps it is not what is primary in expression, but “I just am. . . Filipino, Russian, male, wired this way or that way, etc.”, in my image bearing.

~ by Brian on February 11, 2008.