authenticity

What you see is what you get.

I am an active member of the most cynical generation that has ever walked the earth. Well, at least it seems that way. My peers and I have the astonishing ability to find something wrong with anything. We could spot the negative in a cloudless summer day. In fact, I was recently talking to a guy who was complaining about the heat of summer and the cold of winter…in the same sentence!

This might be a bit of a stretch, but it’s my attempt at being positive, okay. I want to find something good about my cynicism and negativity. If there’s anything that can be gained from such skepticism, it would be this: we crave that which is authentic. We have such a passionate disdain toward anything fake or untrustworthy, we will line up to see, touch and experience that which is real, dependable and accurate. Thus, Jesus shows up and transforms the way we live. Thus, the Church of Jesus has a powerful opportunity to truly influence society.

In today’s culture, there is very little you can immediately count on. How often do you find yourself meeting a new person or using a new product or seeing a new advertisement and intuitively trusting him or it or them? How often do you really think to yourself, “What you see is what you get.” Rarely, right? I know I’m not alone in this boat. Instead, we’re looking for what’s hidden, reading between the lines, waiting for the catch. My generation is desperately yearning for the authentic.

But how can we be authentic when we don’t know who we are? How can we be true to ourselves (and, therefore, others) unless we like and accept ourselves (and, therefore, others)? I have sadly observed that most people really don’t know themselves at all. And, what’s more, they’re petrified to find out! Do you know anyone like that? Have you met those people who are uncomfortable with deep conversation, quiet settings, worship experiences, their own skin? Maybe you are one of those people. What are we so afraid of?

At some point we all have to face our junk. Eventually our past catches up to us. And the key is to stop running. If we will only muster up the courage to turn and face our history, we will discover a miracle. For in the middle of that pain and suffering and mess, there is also grace and joy and peace. Jesus is there. God will meet us. We can find healing…if only we’re willing to endure the discomfort. We can find true life…if only we’re brave enough to be honest.

Children don’t seem to have a problem with authenticity, do they? They are brutally honest about how they’re feeling, what they want and who they are. You always know where you stand with a child. And Jesus seems to like that. In fact, He pushes us to be more like them (read Mark 10:13-16)! How different would your life be if you stopped playing the games? What a change it would make if we could take off the masks? Freedom! Satisfaction! Life! Real life!!!

I can’t stand the fake. It sickens me. So, I’ve dedicated myself to being authentic. That means I’m going to face up to my past—both victories and defeats. I’m going to be real, dependable and accurate as a human being. And we’re going to be that kind of church community too. Holy Seed Community Church is going to be an authentic gathering of believers. We will certainly make mistakes and most definitely don’t have all the answers. We’re just a rabble of misfits who are trying to live like Jesus. After all, what you see is what you get.