Identity
Who are you?
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way He asked them, “Who do people say I am?” - Mark 8:27.
Then He asked them (His disciples), “But who do you say I am?” - Mark 8:29.
Even Jesus was concerned with His identity. He wanted to know how other people viewed Him, from His closest disciples to those who had only heard His name in passing.
This is not meant to make a religious statement of any kind, but just to show everyone worries about their identity.
Identity is complicated. Nobody is just one thing or part of any one group. We know this and yet our default setting is to define people in the simplest terms possible. Identity is not a zero-sum game. It’s not all or nothing.
Too many people have a you’re either with us or against us mentality. They want others to deny a parent, their upbringing, or their own personhood to pledge allegiance to one group.
Worse yet, some people have used their very limited knowledge of medicine and genetics to demonize and possibly endanger Olympic athletes. This is in all in the name of an identity culture war which harms more than it helps.
Human identity is complex because humans are complex. Give people the space and grace to be who are they are.