We Find New Life In An Our Old Identity

by Eric Elkin

“This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?”

— Matthew 22:20

“Creepy little monkey! Quit following me!” Simba barked these words at Rafiki in the movie, The Lion King. The young lion was trying to get away from this annoying stranger, but the older, wiser baboon would not let him go. Rafiki kept pressing Simba with the question, “Who are you?” Identity, though, was the very thing Simba was trying to hide.

I assume most of you know the story. Tormented by the death of his father, Simba ran away from his mother and his pride. He thought, by escaping, he could create a new life on his own. The baboon was there to remind him a new life was not so easy to create. Your past follows you wherever you go. It is a rock that either becomes your foundation or weight upon your shoulders.

Rafiki led Simba to a pool of water. He told him his father was alive. If he looked into the water, he would see him. Yet, when Simba stared into it, all he could see was his own image. It was then, Simba learned a lesson we all would do well to remember. His father lived in him. Simba found his new life in his old identity.

The dialogue between these two characters is one of my all-time favorite movie exchanges. Their conversation, rich with baptismal imagery, transcends the simplicity of an entertaining simple children’s story. If one pays attention, they may discover a lesson that hits close to home. We all can get caught running from our identity. Seeing the engraving on your heart is the quickest path to new life

“God loved you before you were born, and God will love you after you die...You belong to God from eternity to eternity. Life is just a little opportunity for you during a few years to say, “I love you, too.””

— Henri Nouwen

Coming home from church the other day, I found myself in the middle of a group of cars promoting a political candidate. They waved American flags. Signs demanding freedom, protection, prosperity, and hope were plastered over all the cars. Something about each one of these signs seemed angry. The experience made me wonder how much freedom and hope can anyone candidate offer?

The current political climate accentuated by a campaign season nearing its end is a fitting situation for today’s reading. Jesus is in the Temple teaching. It is Passover. The Temple and the city are crowded with people when Jesus gets confronted by the opposition. They are trying to trap him in his own words. As modern readers, we know Jesus is on the way to the cross.

We tend to read this exchange as being about the use of money or the church’s role in politics. I would argue, though, it is more about our own identity. I invite you to turn the question about a coin into a source of personal examination. Who do you look like? And, whose name is written in your heart?

I would hope you discover that you are made in the image of your creator. God’s name is written in your heart. Like Simba, God lives in you. Our old identity, built long before we could think, reason, or vote, is the best source of freedom, security, and hope.

Click to read Matthew 22: 15-22