The Dance of Your “Otherness”
In magnifying Christ, you will be strikingly different. Like a beam of light in a dark world. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-15)
There may be days when you feel your “otherness” strongly. You are in this world, but not of it. Like an awkward dance when one partner is just out of step with the other. You are not to be in sync with the world. You are to unabashedly dance to the beat of a different drum with a distinctive Kingdom rhythm that is other worldly.
Your worldview passes through a Kingdom lens. You are set apart. Holy. Your thinking, feeling, and behavior when permeated by Christ is contrary to that of the world. You are baffling to those who know nothing of the freedom, salvation, truth, and joy found in Christ.
It may seem lonely or difficult at times to embrace your “otherness.” More than being comfortable or happy, your purpose is to glorify the King. The awareness of your alien status and temporary place as a sojourner in this world is an ever-present reality. “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” (1 Peter 2:11). There is a tension in being in the “in between.” To be in this world, yet not of it creates an ongoing clash that resonates deep in the soul. There are boundaries and truths belonging to the King which carry with it a different set of expectations and responsibilities.
Embrace the tension. “Lean into your ‘otherness’—learn the contours of its face, feel out the steady grip of its hand. Because [God] intends it to be your lifelong companion.”1 Your “otherness” reminds you of who you are and Whose you are. Your “otherness” reminds you that your home is not here. Your home is with an eternal King whose love for you is beyond your wildest imagination.
“‘Otherness’ is a sensation not to be dulled or diminished but to be cultivated and cherished. . . This world is not our home. We are sojourners, travelers on our way to the only true comfort the human heart can know.”2 As you magnify the Lord with the beauty and essence of who you are designed to be, embrace your “otherness”. Dance courageously in your “otherness” and know that you are a reflection of the Kingdom here on earth.
1 Wilkin, Jen. “Embrace Your Otherness.” http://www.thegospelcoalition.org. September 24, 2013.
2 Ibid.
