"Who are you?" This is the insistent question of the delegation from Jerusalem as they confront John the Baptist. He sidesteps all of the labels that they try to pin on him: Messiah, Elijah, prophet. He will only identify himself by what he does, which is to prepare the way for someone greater than he. We like to put labels on people. It helps us to categorise them, to assign them a familiar and reassuring place in our inner mental map.

Jesus also avoids labels, referring to Himself as the Son of Man. Both John and Jesus want to be judged by what they do. John prepares the way, Jesus IS the Way and reveals God the Father. And they both want us to think in terms of newness and change, for they have come to stretch and expand our minds and hearts.

When we see others doing good, perhaps we can resist the temptation to pin labels on them. When we find ourselves challenged by events in our lives, it is not helpful to immediately describe these challenges in negative terms. Observe and experience, rather than criticize and judge.