Are You Recognizable?

As seen in the Village Voice and the HEARTbeat

Are You Recognizable?

            Sometimes it is easy to recognize people for who they are, and sometimes it can be deceiving.  Take for instance a construction worker.  He or she may be at a gas station, filling up their vehicle while still wearing a hard hat.  They more than likely have on some type of hard-toed safety boot, and their clothes may be a bit soiled.  Or how about an executive.  Given the same location, a lady might be wearing a very nice business dress, or the gentleman may be wearing a suit and tie.

            What about someone wearing golfing attire?  You can rightly guess they are either heading to the course or just coming off a round of golf.  The same can be said for someone in tennis attire, or even exercise clothes you might see at a fitness center.  Even a bicyclist would be hard pressed trying to hide their activity of choice wearing the bright colored top, padded bicycle shorts and the shoes with the funny cleats on the bottom to clip into the pedals.

            All of these are examples of prejudicial thoughts.  Yes, I said it – prejudice.  Right now you’re probably having negative thoughts about the word I just used.  But we all “pre-judge” movies, books, cars, and yes, people by the way they look or act.  Pre-judging is a perfectly honest mental thought, but drawing conclusions based on a few pieces of information is definitely something we need to guard against.

            We view the people around us based on our past experiences, current data such as the clothes they are wearing, the way they act, and certainly the manner with which they speak.  So I must ask – are you recognizable?  I mean, if you are a Christian, would the people around you recognize you as a child of God?

            Jesus was only recognizable to a few people in His childhood.  When He approached the Jordan River to be baptized, John recognized Him as “the Lamb of God.”  From that point on Jesus became more and more recognizable, not just by His looks, but by the way He talked and certainly His actions.  Jesus had compassion upon the people, and yet stood firm against those who would falsely accuse Him of blasphemy or breaking the Pharisaical law by healing on a Sabbath.  But I wonder, did Thomas recognize Jesus in the upper room after the resurrection or was he in awe?

            When Jesus appeared to the apostles, including Thomas, what was Thomas’ reaction?  Was he in awe that Jesus was standing before him, or did Thomas, as he previously stated to the others, need absolute non-negotiable proof it was Jesus?  Which ever it was, Jesus provided the 100% proof by showing His hands and side to Thomas.  Jesus was then recognizable to the apostles, including Thomas.

            When you go about your day out in public, are you recognizable?  It would be hard to “look like” a Christian, because we come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and different manners of dress.  But when we speak, are we recognizable?

            Be aware of your words and actions.  They speak volumes about who you are, and especially Whose you are!