Am I?

This morning on my way into work I heard a great story on NPR about an Indian dancer/actress that taught some Indian prisoners how to perform folk dances so that they could begin to have a life outside of the prison environment. She was absolutely spot on with reminding the audiences that they performed for that this was not the end of the their transformation but the very tip of the beginning of it. Many of the prisoners still had a hard time finding jobs and struggled to find trust from the people on the outside of the correctional system. This woman also was consistently asked by various audience members if the men that performed were truly reformed. It was her simple response to that question that shook me: "Are we?".

It was also interesting how she delivered the answer. When recalling the incident to the reporter that was interviewing her she laughed uncomfortably. I don't think the laugh was one where she felt badly about taking the one who asked the question off guard with her simple and profound answer. It seemed to me that her laugh was one born out of the insinuation that she, as their instructor and mentor, had it all together and was "reformed." She was much too genuine for me to think any other way about it.

My God - I used to do a better job at this didn't I? I used to feel, in increased measure, the depth of my need for You and ask You to help me overcome my weakness and sin. I used to turn the judgments I was tempted to place on others back onto me in an attempt to let the Spirit reveal sin in my life didn't I? I am transformed by the work of Your Son on the cross but there is so much more that I need to subject to Your control. Thank You for your guiding hand this morning and using those two, little words to remind me that I am still a man in need of my Savior.