O God, you invite us to be true to who you created us to be. Help us to see how, in being honest about who we are, we might inspire others to be honest about who they are. Cultivate in us the ability to be our authentic selves without apology, because we are your creation, meant to be seen as reflection of you. We pray this in the name of the one whose authenticity we follow, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen (Prayer of the Day, June 23, 2024)

Brene Brown has written about what it means to be authentic in her book The Gifts of Imperfection. She writes: “Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are. Choosing authenticity means cultivating the courage to be imperfect, to set boundaries, and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable, exercising the compassion that comes from knowing that we are all made of strength and struggle, and nurturing that connection and sense of belonging that can only happen when we believe that we are enough.” (This week’s podcast, linked below, also features Abby and Amy talking about this week’s theme: Created To Be Authentic.)

Brown gives important encouragement. But if we’re honest, it’s easier said than done. Our culture and the systems that we live within are constantly prompting us to evaluate and rank ourselves, others, or the things around us. Depending on the day of the week or who is doing the evaluation and their generosity of spirit in any given moment, the resulting evaluation can have us feeling like we are never “enough.”

As followers of Jesus, baptism is the place where our authentic selves are welcomed and received by God. Whatever age we come to the waters, our baptism into Christ is the moment we are named and claimed for all eternity by God! In the church, when we say that we are created to be authentic, we are saying that God sees us exactly as we are in this and every moment and says: “Perfect! Exactly as you are right now, that is enough. You are the light that I need shining brightly on a hill for all to see. You are the salt I want seasoning this community. However you are in your authentic self, that is the you I created and love!” This moment of recognizing that we are enough in the eyes of God is the moment joy takes hold as we see that our authentic self is God’s treasured creation called to shine bright!

It’s great news! And here’s the rub — what is true of your authentic self is also true of the authentic soul of the next person you happen to see! It’s true of the neighbor whose yard signs make you cringe, or the co-worker with the big personality. It’s true of the politician whose voice makes you want to throw your remote at the television, or the family member or friend who just needs to get to the point in the story they are telling!

Friends, God is interested in you . . . authentic, weird, wonderful you! God is so interested in you that God sent Jesus to this world not to condemn, or shame, or judge, or exile you, but to save you, and me, and each authentic soul in this whole wide world!