Last edition I wrote about how I once mobbed Justin Timberlake, and have seen him in concert twice. But a couple of years ago, a weird thing happened: JT came to New Zealand and I had no desire to see him. In fact, Sole Mio was playing at the same time and I was way more excited to see them. What was happening to me?
I could only put it down to one thing: maturity.
I was shocked to discover that I had slowly but surely become an adult. I now preferred pop opera to pop music. I started to enjoy Country Calendar. Going to bed early was a treat. There is a push-and-pull within me because our culture tells us to hold on to youth. I’ve heard that if all the world’s beauty products were to go off our shelves for just one day, the Western economy would collapse. I believe it.
But here’s the untold story: being an adult is fun. When you realise it’s okay to get older, you’re actually standing up to our entire culture. You’re saying it’s okay to accept yourself as you are. This is revolutionary.
I love the quote from St Irenaeus: ‘The glory of God is man fully alive’. Our culture tells us we should try to be someone else. But a big part of the Christian journey is learning to be more and more ourselves—as we discover our authentic identity in Christ. So here’s to swimming in public, singing loudly and wearing lycra as clothes. In short, here’s to being our true, unapologetic selves.
Ingrid Barratt
Editor
Psalm 139:14
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Ngā Waiata 139:14
Ka whakawhetai ahau ki a koe; he mea whakawehi, he mea whakamīharo tōku hanganga; he mahi whakamīharo āu mahi, mōhio rawa anō tōku wairua ki tēnā.