Akiva ben Yosef, a renowned rabbi from centuries past, found himself on an unexpected
journey one foggy night. Lost in thought and scripture, he wandered off course by miles,
eventually arriving at the gates of an unfamiliar city. The silence was broken by a sharp call
from a Roman guard: “Who are you? Why are you here?”
Akiva, ever the rabbi, responded with a question of his own. “Who are you? And why are
you here?”
The exchange continued, with the guard explaining his role: “I’m a Roman Guard, and my
job is to ask questions and demand answers.” Intrigued, Akiva shouted, “And how much
do they pay you to ask questions and demand answers?”
The guard replied, “What does it matter?”
Akiva answered: “I’ll pay you twice whatever they’re paying you to stand outside my home
and ask me those same two questions every morning.”
“Where there is no vision,” the Bible says, “the people perish” (Pro. 29:18). Two questions—
simple, yet profound: Who are you? Why are you here?
You could live without answering them. Survival doesn’t demand self-reflection; instinct
can carry you through. But thriving? Flourishing in the way God intended? That requires
clarity. Knowing who you are and why you’re here gives purpose to your steps and
meaning to your days.
These questions don’t just haunt us individually. They echo in the heart of every church.
Who are we? Why are we here? Without answers, we risk wandering like Akiva, missing
our turn toward home. With them, however, we find the direction to step into God’s
calling.
In Christ, we find the answers. Who are we? We are God’s beloved, His church, the body
of Christ. Why are we here? To glorify Him, to proclaim the gospel, to shine light in a dark
world.
Maranatha, Jordy
