The Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C

The Profile of a Christian

A Confirmation class was discussing what being a Christian entailed. They were asked to use certain passages of Scripture to come up with a job description for a want ad to hire a Christian. The final result read something like this.

Wanted: Dedicated and committed Christian to work for the Lord. Must have the following qualities.
- Pray without ceasing
- Be willing to be the servant of all
- Love God with all one's heart and one's neighbour as oneself
- Always put others needs before one's own
- Follow without counting the costs
- Do good deeds
- Perform miracles
- Be kind and compassionate in all one's dealings
- Work for no pay
- Be a good steward

As a follow up they were asked if they would consider such a position themselves. They talked about the drawbacks, but also about what the benefits might be. I suspect that most of us would find many drawbacks and very few benefits if we were to truly take in what the cost of being a Christian should be.

The early Christians struggled with what it meant to be a Christian. Christianity had never been intended to become a new faith.  They were Jewish.  The link to the synagogue and their Jewish roots was a strong part of their identity.  When the Jewish community became hostile toward the new sect, they had to struggle against persecution.  They were enthusiastic in their proclamation.  They were fervent in their desire to share the gospel message.  They understood their vocation.  God had clearly called them to continue the earthly work of Christ.  They tried always to grow in the image of the one whom they followed.  They struggled with their identity as Christians. 

Our society can certainly understand the need for identity.  It is of the utmost importance to our culture, particularly for young people.  It colours the way we think of others.  We identify people by the way they speak, by the clothing they wear, or by the colour of their skin.  We tend to choose friends who are like us in appearance, in the way they think, in the way they act.  It is very difficult to break into a group with an identity differing from one’s own.

What identifies us as Christians?  Do we have anything which sets us apart as a community?  Do we have a profile?  Surely if we consider ourselves to be set apart by God then there should be distinguishing characteristics in our lives, things which set us apart from the world and make being a Christian different. 

The readings today give us a sense of the profile of the Christian from the perspective of the early church. The Acts of the Apostles tells the ongoing story of the disciples of Jesus following the resurrection. This time the story centres around Peter. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter cannot help but share the Good News of his life and the lives of those around him transformed by the resurrected Christ. Peter and the others continue the work begun by Christ. He is called to Joppa where the community is in mourning following the death of a woman, Tabitha, who spends an enormous amount of time and energy in ministry to those in need. In her own quiet, servant ministry she has had an amazing impact on the Christian community. The women have lovingly brought in tunics and other clothing to display remembering how their lives have been transformed by the compassion and service of this good woman. They offer prayers for each other. They minister to each other.

And then Peter empties the room, approaches her bedside, kneels and prays. It is a simple prayer said in faith. “Tabitha, get up.” Peter's confidence is testimony to the power of God in his life. Hopefully it speaks to the power of the resurrection in the life of the church today, and in our own lives.

The profile continues to build in the passage from the Revelation of John. John was able to look beyond the ragged, frightened band of Christians to what was to come.  He saw himself as part of a world-wide community of faith, a countless multitude of believers.  He recognized the risen Christ within the earthly community, present amid the trials and tribulations of this world. 

The good shepherd passage from the gospel of John with its identification of the characteristics of the Christian gives us a wonderful profile of what it means to be live the Christian life.  For one thing we are belongers.  “You do not believe because you do not belong,” Jesus says to the people who confront him about who he is.  They want to know if he is the Messiah.  They want an easy answer.  A yes or no.  They don’t want to struggle with who he is.  They don’t want to take the time to check it out for themselves.  They want him to plainly identify who he is so that they can believe.  But Jesus tells them clearly that believing is belonging when it comes to one’s relationship with God. 

When we belong, it is like being branded.  There is stamped on our attitudes, our manners, our personalities, the sign that we are owned by God.  That is our belief about baptism. We are signed forever with the sign of the cross. We are branded. We belong to God.
Part of our identity as Christians is that sense of belonging to the community.  It is no accident that people come wanting to belong.  If ministry is to be effective then there must be a strong sense of community.  We may be well organized and efficient as a church.  We may have wonderful programs going.  But if people are not made welcome and given a sense that they belong, our community will not grow. 

Those who belong are listeners.  “My sheep hear my voice,” said Jesus.  While others in our materialistic society listen for the ring of the cash register, we should be listening for the voice of God.  It may be a still small voice.  Or God may be heard in the whirlwind, the thunder, and the chaos and catastrophe of our lives.  If we are listeners then we will hear the voice of God, soft or loud, communicating with us.  Speaking to us through the symbols of our faith.  Speaking to us as we come to worship.  Speaking to us as we celebrate life.  Speaking to us at times of difficulty and despair.  Speaking to us through our relationships with others.  Speaking to us through our sense of community. 

Finally, those who belong are followers.  “My sheep hear my voice,” Jesus says, “and they follow me.”  Following means serving God.  Serving others on God’s behalf.  We serve God in our families and in our daily lives.  We serve in the community, in the political and economic struggles of our society.  We serve wherever lost sheep are struggling to find meaning and purpose in life. 

God calls each and everyone of us to loving service. It is the reason God created us. It is the reason we were baptized. It is why we call ourselves Christians. No matter what role we have or what occupation we choose, to be a Christian is our common vocation. Let us allow God to lead is in new directions, to open us up to new ways of worshipping, to respond to a world in need by living our lives of faith. That is how we will become shepherds to others. That is how we will open the doors of faith to those who would know Jesus, the Good Shepherd. That is how we will get on with the work of being the Church in the world. Thanks be to God.