Worship: Who are you, and what are you doing here?

Being loved can change the course of your life.

Many years ago, a rabbi walked home after dinner with friends. He was full in every way and was in a joyous mood. When he came to a familiar fork in the road, he was lost in the joy of the evening, was not paying attention, and took the path on the right. The rabbi knew this road and had traveled it for many years. He knew his home was to the left.

Naturally, he was quite startled when a voice boomed from overhead, “Hey you! Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

The rabbi shot to attention, only then realizing he had taken the wrong path at the fork in the road. His path had led him to a Roman military base, and he was just under a watchtower.

The Roman guard yelled again, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?” The rabbi began to laugh, much to the chagrin of the guard. The guard asked, “Why are you laughing?” The rabbi replied, “How much do they pay you to stand up there and startle people in the middle of the night?” The guard replied, “They pay me 50 denarii a month. Why?”

The rabbi said, “I’ ll pay you double if you follow me around for the rest of my life and twice a day ask me those same two questions, ‘who are you, and what are you doing here?’”

Who are you, and what are you doing here?

I wonder how you would answer.

I’ve come to learn these two questions can define a life. I’ve also come to learn that without maturing in faith, we can answer these questions out of order. The early parts of our lives are spent believing we are what we do. What we do is defined by what we accomplish, achieve, make, or even what party we vote for.

Therefore, we can believe who we are is what we do. All wisdom traditions are interested in growing us up, maturing us as people of faith. If we orient ourselves on that path, we come to discover the core of who we are is rooted not in the titles we have accrued but in our belonging to God. Henri Nouwen teaches us, “God claims us as beloved. For we are the beloved sons and daughters of God.” We are simultaneously claimed as beloved and commanded to be loved. Allowing ourselves to be loved is perhaps the most difficult part of the journey.

The invitation for us is to begin by allowing ourselves to be loved. So beloved, may you begin to sink more deeply into your belovedness today. May you find a way to allow yourself to be loved by God. For God has loved you from your first breath, and there is not a time in your life that hasn’t been true. For it is who you are and what you are doing here.