One of our traditions on the hike is that we hand out Bible verses for reflection. They are drawn randomly, and, for the most part, each man pulls a different verse. The verse I drew was from Luke 9:18-20, Peter\u2019s confession of Christ:<\/p>\n
And he asked them, \u201cWho do the crowds say that I am?\u201d\u009d And they answered, \u201cJohn the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.\u201d\u009d Then he said to them, \u201cBut who do you say that I am?\u201d\u009d And Peter answered, \u201cThe Christ of God.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Now, I\u2019ve done this enough to know that you can\u2019t draw the wrong verse; somehow God just always gives each man the verse he needs. Nevertheless, when I drew this verse, I thought, perhaps smugly, \u201cThat\u2019s strange. This verse should have been given to someone who is considering Christianity. I\u2019m the priest\u201d\u201dI know who Jesus is.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t hiked fifty yards before the weight of this verse hit me with far more force than it ever hit me as a new Christian many years ago. My whole career is about who others say he is. I spend lots of time and energy making sure my sermons, classes, and writings are theologically precise so that others may have the right answer about who Jesus is.<\/p>\n
But what about me? Who do I say that he is?<\/p>\n