"BBQ - it's not just what we do, it's who we are."
I have to admit that my first reaction to this restaurant marquis was, "Ew, who would want to be BBQ?" But then, I've never been a huge fan of barbeque, so maybe I just don't get it.
However, there are some things that I'd be willing to say go beyond just something I do, down to the core of my being, to who I am. It also seems to me that there are some things that we as a denomination don't just do; we are.
This week we will take one more step in the process of approving the Belhar Confession as one of our standards - not the last step, but very, very close. As I thought about this idea of doing vs. being, I realized even more how much I hope that the Belhar passes. It is one thing to say that we're going to do what we can to eliminate racism in the RCA. It's yet another to confess that part of our identity lies in being a people who hope and work for a future of justice.
Someday, I'd like us to be able to put that on a sign: "Justice - it's not just what we do, it's who we are."