During my years of striving for career growth, I felt compelled to reach a level that proved I had "arrived", that I had grasped the gold ring, that I was being recognized for my capabilities. Since I believed in my heart that I was capable of that sort of VP-type position, I convinced myself not only that I deserved it, but that I would surely get there. Ultimately I learned that it's not all about capability; that much of it is about who's in charge and what they think about you, about leadership, about the way the world works.
Today in class we talked about the "pyramid of status" that was commonly used during the Roman Empire. In order to rise to greater status, a Roman citizen must have a sponsor. The way to get a sponsor was to give a gift to the person above you. Once your sponsor was sufficiently "gifted", he would provide you with a letter of recommendation. This reference was a requirement to rise to the next level of leadership. How similar this sounds to so many hierarchical structures today!
In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul describes how Jesus turns the status pyramid on its head, by taking his position at the top of the pyramid, and from there emptying himself, not only to take the form of a slave, but to be murdered in the shameful sort of way reserved for criminals and slaves. Therefore, he is given by God the name above all names, so every knee should bend and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
The top of the heap is now meaningless. The last shall be first and the first shall be last.Christ comes to save the least and the loss. Those of status are now called to give to those without.
Our lifetimes of striving to be seen, known, recognized as something important, special, powerful - ultimately all this means nothing. We are called to humble ourselves, to give the best we have away to all who have need of it.
It seems so ironic that it can take half of our lives (or more) to understand what is important in our lives, what is truly worth striving for. In the end, it's not at all about being known, but about knowing who we are, whose we are, and how we come to know others, in order to serve others.
Ultimately, all that matters about being known is that we are all personally, intimately known by Christ.
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