Be the message – part 4

Being the message comes from a certain conviction and motivation within oneself that doesn’t rely on the energy or inspiration of others. You have to find that place within your own heart that is totally sincere and authentic. It has to be your faith, your love, and your heart that speaks. When you become the message there is nothing phony about you.

We are in awe of people – the Mandela’s and Martin Luther Kings of this world – because somewhere in their journey they found that place. They had integrity because their words and actions simply flowed out from their internal conviction. Similarly, Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s ministry was built out of a conviction he formed as a young man of 16 years old after an encounter with Jesus. Rev. Moon expressed his heart in this poem:

Crown of Glory:

When I doubt people, I feel pain.
When I judge people, it is unbearable.
When I hate people, there is no value to my existence.

Yet if I believe, I am deceived.
If I love, I am betrayed.
Suffering and grieving tonight, my head in my hands
Am I wrong?

Yes, I am wrong.
Even though we are deceived, still believe.
Though we are betrayed, still forgive.
Love completely even those who hate you.

Wipe your tears away and welcome with a smile
Those who know nothing but deceit
And those who betray without regret.

Oh Master! The pain of loving!
Look at my hands.
Place your hand on my chest.
My heart is bursting, such agony!

But when I loved those who acted against me
I brought victory.
If you have done the same thing,
I will give you the crown of glory.

Each one of us has the potential to be worthy of the Crown of Glory but we must first achieve oneness of mind and body; when we do so God’s purity and truth will be revealed in our lives. This is how we become the message.

It starts with honesty

In Luke 18:16-17 we are told, “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.  For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.”

Rev. Moon often talked about living “at high noon.” When the sun is at high noon and you are directly under it, there is no shadow. Our lives should be such that we do not cast a shadow. Why do people hide or become dishonest? People choose dishonesty when they are afraid to live in the light. Nevertheless, there is no path to God that doesn’t include the process of allowing all the hidden places of our hearts to be revealed.

Joe’s testimony:

God, who is pure, true, and good can only relate to us when we allow all that is not pure, not true and not good in us to fall away. This is why honesty is so important. Character education promotes honesty but doesn’t really explain why honesty fundamentally matters. Faith traditions, on the other hand, reveal that honesty matters because we are trying to become like God. The things that are hidden in our lives are not good because they are slowly destroying the core of who we are and the possibilities for deeper relationships with God and others.

“My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them.” – Psalms 32:4-5

Real heart to heart relationships flourish through honesty

When we try to hide our insecurity or lack of self-esteem we destroy our opportunity to meet God and others in a heart to heart relationship.  Instead of being able to reveal our true heart we cover up in order to be in control.

I was reminded of this as I browsed in the book store, leafing through the pages of “Real Love” by Greg Baer. This book is about how to find unconditional love and fulfilling relationships.  Chapter three recounts an intriguing fable.

The tale of the Wart King and the Wise Man

It goes something like this:

There was a King who felt ashamed of his son, the crown prince, who kept himself a recluse due the many warts covering his face. He would only go out in public with a bag over his head. He was sick of being an object of ridicule. He felt despised instead of loved by the subjects of the kingdom. Alas, his father died and he was crowned king. His very first decree as king was to make it illegal to mention the warts on his face. Nonetheless, he continued to cover his face. Eventually, he could stand it no more.

The new King heard of a wise man that lived at the top of a mountain. Tired of struggling, he decided to seek his advice. He climbed the mountain and greeted the wise man and poured out his story. The wise man seemed unfazed. He persuaded the king to remove the bag from his head. The moment he did, the wise man gasped and exclaimed, “You have so many warts.” The king was angry and declared it was a violation of the Kings ruling to mention the warts. The wise man laughed, “But your face is covered in them.” This incensed the king even more as he presumed the wise man was simply laughing at him.

The king slumped, all of his energy gone. He whispered, “The boys in the town all laughed at me too. My father was ashamed of me.”

The wise man responded, “I am not one the boys and I am not your father. That must have been difficult for you.”

“Yes it was,” replied the king.

“But as you can see, I am not laughing at you, and I am not ashamed of you either.” To be truthful, it did feel different in the presence of the wise man.

The king looked up, “You don’t find my warts disgusting?”

“No, and I don’t find my own warts disgusting anymore either.”

Surprised, the king looked up, and for the first time he noticed the wise man did indeed have warts on his face. It’s funny how he hadn’t seen them.

“But, you don’t wear a bag over your head.”

“I did” replied the wise man, “but I got sick of it and realized the world is more beautiful without it and gradually I found a few people who didn’t laugh at me. With the love of those people, I cared less about others who may laugh at me.”

Like the Wart King, we quickly learn in life that people think less of us when we reveal our imperfections so we try to hide our flaws. In doing so we avoid criticism, however, it takes so much energy to constantly conceal things and pretend we are something we are not. The truth is over time we are less able to recognize and receive real love when it is being given to us.

The moral of the story is that when you tell the truth about yourself, you create the opportunity to find someone who will unconditionally accept you, just as you are.

This week try living at high noon and find the courage to reveal who you truly are. In doing so, you will find real love and experience your unique value.