Know Who You Are
Last night I had the opportunity to watch Moana, a movie I was hoping to eventually watch because I love most things Disney (thanks to my mother for that). In all honesty, I absolutely loved it and all of its cheesy goodness. Simply, it was a movie about discovering one's identity and whether identity is to be shaped by cultural expectations or to be shaped by who one believes they are.
My favorite part of the movie happens towards the end of a particular scene between Moana and the main antagonist, Te Ka.
**WARNING--SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE AND PLAN ON WATCHING IT, PLEASE SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH**
In this scene, after Moana realizes something special about Te Ka, she steps down to the shore and asks the sea to allow Te Ka to come to her. The sea splits and clears a path, which then music cues and Te Ka and Moana proceed to move towards each other. During the rest of this scene, Moana is singing the following words:
Moana reminded me about the power of naming when it comes to identity formation. What we believe and think about ourselves is largely influenced by what other people have said about us. For example, while I was in fifth grade, there was this sixth grader who called me "jelly donut" because I was quite rotund in stature during that period of my life. That act of naming though affected me in ways that I did not realize until much later on in life. That act, alongside the death of my grandmother, catalyzed an identity to be shaped rooted in loneliness, insecurity, and fear. When Jesus broke through those lies during college, though, he named me in ways that unraveled all of that baggage--that I am loved, that I am a child of God, that I am wonderfully made, etc. So when I watched that scene in Moana, I realized that it strongly resonates with me because that's what Jesus did for me in my life! Jesus does this in ALL of our lives! He "crosses" the horizon to find us--not necessarily to physically find us but to help us uncover our true identities which have been covered up by years of garbage. He speaks to us softly saying that he knows our name--who we truly are--and that our heart has been stolen by the enemy and the world. Yet, the actions that we have done because of our missing heart DO NOT define us. He then invites us to come to him, with arms wide open, and he says to us, "This is not who you are. You know who you are."
Once we have our identities restored in Christ, then Jesus invites us to help do the same for others. Now that we know who we are, Jesus wants us to help name others in the way he named us. Our naming of others helps to pave that path and bridge the gap so that they can also experience this Moana moment with Jesus. When we know who we are and are able to accept our stories, then we are able to enter into the stories of others by listening to them, empathizing them, and offering them hope and an invitation to something new. This is why I do ministry: because I get to partner with Jesus to help people rediscover who they truly are--I get to be a Moana, just like my Jesus. Will you join me and be in the business of naming others with Jesus?
My favorite part of the movie happens towards the end of a particular scene between Moana and the main antagonist, Te Ka.
**WARNING--SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE AND PLAN ON WATCHING IT, PLEASE SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH**
In this scene, after Moana realizes something special about Te Ka, she steps down to the shore and asks the sea to allow Te Ka to come to her. The sea splits and clears a path, which then music cues and Te Ka and Moana proceed to move towards each other. During the rest of this scene, Moana is singing the following words:
I have crossed the horizon to find you.
I know your name.
They have stolen the heart from inside you.
But this does not define you.
This is not who you are.
You know who you are.
When Moana finishes singing, Te Ka has calmed down and they connect by touching heads. Simple, yet hauntingly beautiful at the same time. The link to the song is here if you want to listen to it.Moana reminded me about the power of naming when it comes to identity formation. What we believe and think about ourselves is largely influenced by what other people have said about us. For example, while I was in fifth grade, there was this sixth grader who called me "jelly donut" because I was quite rotund in stature during that period of my life. That act of naming though affected me in ways that I did not realize until much later on in life. That act, alongside the death of my grandmother, catalyzed an identity to be shaped rooted in loneliness, insecurity, and fear. When Jesus broke through those lies during college, though, he named me in ways that unraveled all of that baggage--that I am loved, that I am a child of God, that I am wonderfully made, etc. So when I watched that scene in Moana, I realized that it strongly resonates with me because that's what Jesus did for me in my life! Jesus does this in ALL of our lives! He "crosses" the horizon to find us--not necessarily to physically find us but to help us uncover our true identities which have been covered up by years of garbage. He speaks to us softly saying that he knows our name--who we truly are--and that our heart has been stolen by the enemy and the world. Yet, the actions that we have done because of our missing heart DO NOT define us. He then invites us to come to him, with arms wide open, and he says to us, "This is not who you are. You know who you are."
Once we have our identities restored in Christ, then Jesus invites us to help do the same for others. Now that we know who we are, Jesus wants us to help name others in the way he named us. Our naming of others helps to pave that path and bridge the gap so that they can also experience this Moana moment with Jesus. When we know who we are and are able to accept our stories, then we are able to enter into the stories of others by listening to them, empathizing them, and offering them hope and an invitation to something new. This is why I do ministry: because I get to partner with Jesus to help people rediscover who they truly are--I get to be a Moana, just like my Jesus. Will you join me and be in the business of naming others with Jesus?
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