Reading Large Chunks of Scripture
Day 1
Mark 1

The beginning of the gospel is about identity. Jesus seems to be identified by his first actions and words - healing, exorcising demonic spirits, creating community, and resisting the will to power above the desire to serve God - all of which flow from the identity of Jesus, affirmed at his baptism, as the beloved son of God.

As I read through this scripture chunk I'm challenged by this fact. How often do I find my identity, my self-worth, the ways in which I make meaning in life, from the fact that I too am a beloved child of God? Not all that often. I think more often my decisions are made based on the moment, a sense of the tyranny of the urgent, a survival mode as opposed to seeing a bigger picture, a worldview based first and foremost upon the way that God sees me as opposed to how I see the instant.