I'll Be Fine in the End - A Geeks of Faith Dr. Who Devotion

When we watched the Premier of the New Dr. Who she said something that really resonated with me.  Don’t worry, this quote could fit any of the Doctors.  There won’t be any spoilers for those who haven’t seen it yet!  Although I do recommend you see it.  It was very good.  The Doctor, as frequently happens was having identity issues after regenerating.  She said:

The Doctor: Right now, I’m a stranger to myself. There’s echoes of who I was and a sort of call towards who I am. And I have to hold my nerve and trust all these new instincts. Shape myself towards them. I’ll be fine. In the end. Hopefully. I have to be. Because you guys need help. ‘Cause there’s one thing I’m certain of, when people need help, I never refuse. Right. This is going to be fun!

That speech really struck me.  I often feel like that.  There are “echoes of who I was and a sort of call towards who I am. And I have to hold my nerve and trust all these new instincts.”  Whenever life throws me a curve or I am facing great change.  When I was called into the ministry, when Jon-Paul and I were planning our lives together, when one of us gets a job that will mean the other leaving security and taking a leap of faith, even trying to start this Geeks of Faith group.  I don’t really know what I am doing or why God wants me in this place.  I just have to hold on and trust.  I have to trust that Jesus walks with me no matter where life takes me.  I have to trust that if I make mistakes, I will be forgiven and given a chance to start again.  I have to trust that God will be there if life knocks me down.  God will be there to pick me up and dust me off.

But the part of the Doctor’s speech that I loved the best was the last bit.  “I’ll be fine in the end. Hopefully. I have to be. Because you guys need help.  “Cause there’s one thing I’m certain of, when people need help.  I never refuse. Right.”  Even though the Doctor is confused about who she is, she knows in the core of her beliefs.

It is the same for us.  When we are tossed about on the waves of the world we need to remember who we are at the core.  We are children of God, loved and called.  We need to remember whose we are.  We don’t belong to the world.  We don’t belong to a job or a city.  We belong to God.  When we baptize a baby in the Presbyterian church we don’t use their last name.  We use “child of God” or “child of the covenant”.  Yes, our earthly families are important.  They can be a great means of support and comfort.  But they are also human.  They can make mistakes, hurt our feelings, let us down, and even die on us.  Not that we ever want that, but it is life.  There is only one being that will never let us down… not even the Doctor can promise that, but Jesus does.

So, how does knowing that we are beloved children of God help us through times where we don’t know what to do, where to go, or even who we are supposed to be?  We have the Bible to tell us what Jesus is like.  As the Doctor knew in her core that she helped people, we can know that we are supposed to be like Jesus.  We are called to help people, too.

In our Bible content course in seminary there were a few key verses that we were told that we had to know, that we should never forget.  Of course there was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”  That is greatly comforting, but it doesn’t help us figure out what we are supposed to do or who we are supposed to be at our core.

There are the two greatest commandments:  Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves.  That helps a little with who we are called to be.  Another that they said we should never forget was Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?”

No matter what happens to throw my life into turmoil.  No matter what happens that makes me wonder who I really am, I have this.  I know in my core that I am a child of God.  When I am too upset or confused to remember what that means I can turn to this. “God so loved the world” which includes me.  I need to love God and neighbor.  And this scripture helps me know what loving my neighbor means.  Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with my God.

I may not know where God is leading, or what I am supposed to do, I may even feel like a stranger to myself, but in my core I know this.  I am loved.  I need to love.  I need to be just.  I need to be kind, and I need to be humble.  Like the Doctor, I know that means that I need to help people.  It is only with that knowledge that I can say, like the Doctor, “This is going to be fun.”

For those who are struggling with who you are and what to do, remember God is there, Jesus is walking with you, and you have been given “companions” to help you on your way.  Like in Dr. Who, sometimes you get to choose them, and sometimes your are thrown together.  Either way remember we are called to be brothers and sisters.  We are called to be that kind and loving presence.  If you are in need of that, look for us at Geeks of Faith on Facebook or leave a message here.”