“Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him”
– Matthew 28:32
In an interview for a barista position in my college coffee shop, I was asked, “What would your theme song be?” Without hesitation, my answer was Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ “Walk Like a Man.” This song was always a staple in my family, with rousing renditions sung into wooden spoons while making dinner. Despite the catchiness of the tune, it is one that challenges me every time I hear it and causes me to question my authenticity.
Throughout my life I have gotten in trouble for knowing just enough to get in trouble. While I project confidence outwardly through my words, I have a tendency to internally question myself. I have often lost myself in attempts to meet the expectations of others, using words to mask my true self out of fear of rejection. When lost, I have found myself in the small humbling acts of caring for another.
The message of my theme song and Christ’s parable in today’s Gospel reading are the same: you must “walk” your “talk.” When we are disingenuous with ourselves, we distance ourselves from the way that God sees us and alienate ourselves from others. Christ does not require perfection as a precondition to his benevolent love. He simply asks to try our best to have our actions and words be authentic. When we find our authentic selves, we often find God close by.
Forgiving Lord, help me to see myself as you see me, in all my sinful and graced humanity.
Amen.
Benjamin Horgan
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