Greatest fear

For the fifth time in the last month I was reminded today of a poem Nelson Mandela read in his inauguration speech....

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine,

we consciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

I mean, I'm familiar with it - we used to put it in the counselor books at Camp Arrowhead.... But five times in a month? Come on!

First it's quoted in Mike Yaconelli's Messy Spirituality that we're reading in small group at church. Then I saw it in the AIM profile of a kid from workcamp. Then my friend Fran, from camp, sent me a link to a sermon she gave at her church and of course it was in there. Someone was reading it on tv last night when I couldn't fall asleep. Then I heard it today in Rob Bell's sermon from 5/29 that I downloaded (from Mars Hill Bible Church). Shew. I remembered all of them!

In small group we talked about if we believe it... Well, the fear part. Obviously no one in my small group at church is going to be like, "We're not all children of God." ha ha. So, umm, I've been thinking about it...

A few weeks back at Campus Life Student Leadership my friend Chris was talking about imitation. A lot of times people say imitation is the highest form of flattery... but Christ was saying that imitation is one of the highest forms of responsibility. Well, more like it should be. I mean, I'm sure when Madonna wore that hideous bow on her head and the ugly lace dress she probably wasn't thinking much about billions of little girls emulating her.... I'm sure that most of pop culture doesn't. But Chris and I are in a really different line of work.

When you're in ministry you call out for people to follow you - to do like you do. I mean that's how Jesus called all of his Disciples - Come, Follow Me. And scripture tells us things like, "Live a life worthy of the calling." "Be an example in word, in deed, in love, in faith, and in purity." We're supposed to be living our lives so that people will see something in us and follow us until they realize we're just following Christ and they can too.

So yeah, maybe I didn't realize it before, but when people I work with start imitating me - it freaks me out. Not like Single White Female - well, maybe a little like that.... but more like, was that the most important thing I could have impressed upon them? Usually it's not. So sometimes, when I think about the idea of people emulating me, doing what I do.... maybe it is a little bit of a fear.... fear that I will influence them instead making sure it's of the Holy One IN me that influences them.

I always used to remind myself that as much as kids I work with think they love me - I'm just not that cool. It's Jesus they see in me - That's what they're attracted to. And that's REALLY different! I guess it's a matter of knowing it's NOT about me... without Him I am nothing. It might look like shrinking... but it's more like refocusing the spot light. Most of our lives we want the big bright light on us... you know where the tight circle shows up on the curtain behind you while you have your big number on the stage..... and you're totally free to go just a little right or left and fade into the shadows to do those things you'd less proudly display about yourselves.....

But when we refocus the light... maybe it's more about recognizing the source of the light and that we're just reflecting it. I think that recognizing that fact could liberate others.

It's like we're all moons.... big dirt balls floating along.... and we shine b/c the sun, (or is it The Son?), shines on us. Problem is... a lot of people walk around thinking they are the stars - that they shine, that the universe revolves around them. (this is working on so many levels!!) It's just not true. Scripture tells us, "The truth will set you free...," and I can't think of anything more liberating than that :0)


You were born to make manifest the glory of God within you... you shine... not because of who you are, but because of what HE's done.