Season 2 - Week 3
“Who do they think you are?”
Who are you?
They see your profile picture; they know your name.
Yes, but who are you?
They read your status updates; they watch, like, friend, follow, share, subscribe.
But still, who are you?
What do you let them see: your Facebook friends, your Instagram followers, your Snapchatters and your Youtube subscribers?
Who do they think you are?
So, who are you?
Are you walking down the road, minding your own business, being set upon by robbers and left for dead? Are you hurting, needy, desperate, angry, too weak even to call out for help? Are you failing, are you struggling to cope, are you afraid? Are you weary, hungry, naked, under attack? Have you forgotten where to turn for help?
Are you working with the robbers, stripping others of everything they have, taking it for yourself? Are you greedy for praise, are you selfish with your time, are you stamping over other people in your desire to succeed? Have you forgotten who you're serving? Are you basking in the admiration of others? Are you lazy, taking the rewards that are due to other people?
Are you the priest who no one sees walking past on the other side of the road, ignoring the man who needs help? Are you careful to do the work which other people will see and careless about the work that only God will see? Are you quick to post and slow to respond?
Are you the Levite, set apart from others, who thinks he is too special to get his hands dirty in this situation? Do you set boundaries on what you're willing to do, on how you're prepared to serve? Are you more eager to speak online than to listen?
Are you the Samaritan, who no one expects much from, who doesn't care about his reputation, who just sees someone in need and helps? Are you there with comforting, sustaining words? Are you free with your prayers? Will you step into someone's life and give them what they need, without asking questions? Will you love them without expecting anything in return?
Who are you?
Who do they think you are?
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
First, get a pen and paper and write down some reflections on your life over the last couple of weeks: what's happened, how have you felt, what has God been doing in your life – anything which seems important to you. Next, take a few minutes to read through your own social media feeds from the last couple of weeks. Don't worry about other people's comments and conversations, just focus on the status updates, tweets, photos and videos which you have posted.
How well does your online persona match your written reflections?
Of course there will be differences – not everything is appropriate to share online. But are they showing the same person or does it read like a stranger? Are you constructing a shallow, distorted, or even false picture of yourself online? Do you let others see your weaknesses and are you honest about your failures? Can you admit when you need help and hear when others are crying out? Will you cross the road to help, even when no one sees?
Who are you?
Will you let them see?
Find the list you wrote at the end of week 1 - the areas in which you most value integrity. Read Ros' reflections again. Where do you see integrity, or a lack of integrity, in each character? How does this relate to the things you value?
With which character do you most identify?
For more brain-food on this subject, we suggest Martin Saunders' recent Christian Today article, Three Words That Could Save The Internet.
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