How often do we ask ourselves “How am I?” or “How are we?” For individuals, we probably ask this, in private, to ourselves, very regularly throughout the day.
It’s an important question as we need to take care of ourselves. Not doing that, we might lost touch of our own condition, e.g. moving away from loud places, needing to chat, etc.
How much of the “How am I?” that we have space for others? Others who are outside of church families, without faith? In asking the “Who am I?” question, we should not lost sight of others. The idea here is not that we stop asking “How am I?” and go 100% on “How are you?” all the time; but it is balancing the “I” or “we”, and “others”.
This is difficult; in fact, very challenging.
This question is not about squeezing this important part of our own “inner circle”.
There are many in our own circles we need to spend time with, to offer support, to receive love, to share companion, to encourage and admonish, to learn, adapt and grow.
A much more question to ask is what do we do, and how do we do it, with other aspects of our life when we could be responding to the “How am I?” question from others who need the love of God?
How am I?
Has our needs been met? Spiritual, mental, physical, relationship, career, aspiration etc.
We need to attend to our loved ones – family, those dear to us. We might care for others for whom we need to monitor and perhaps provide for their security, welfare, and general well-being. As such, it’s critical we ask ourselves “How am I?”, that we don’t work ourselves out.
It ought to be that beyond our availability to support those dear to us that we should reflect on those further in our social circle, or even those unknown to us – are any of them worried when they ask themselves “How am I?” This underlies a number of accounts of Jesus, that he reached out to individuals, with an insight of their needs, to offer help. Of course, we are not Jesus, we are not God. We do have the Spirit to guide us.
Let’s be more aware of people who have a negative view of themselves, or the situation they are in, when they asked themselves “How am I?” We might be in a capacity to reach out, to show understanding, to demonstrate care,, to extend spiritual healing.
The Church is wherever God’s people are seeking …