What do Rachel Reeves, Jonathan Reynolds, Jeffrey Archer, Gordon Ramsay and Nick Adderley all have in common?
It seems that all of them, at some time or another, have embellished their CVs to make out that their achievements were greater than they were in reality.
Whether it was where they worked, or for how long, or what they accomplished – all seem to have succumbed to the human temptation to ‘big up’ who they are and what they had done. You will have to search online if you want to know more about Rachel Reeves and Jonathan Reynolds, two serving cabinet minister, but let me help you with the rest.
Jeffrey Archer claimed he had A Levels in History, English and Geography, had successfully taken a 2-year US degree course and was also an Oxford University graduate. All untrue.
Gordon Ramsay claimed that he played first team football for Glasgow Rangers until his career was cruelly cut short by injury. However, it seems he only ever played once for Rangers in a testimonial match.
Nick Adderley was the former Chief Constable for Northamptonshire Constabulary from 2018-2024 until it was discovered that there were major problems with what he had said about his naval career, its length and his achievements. Among the many things that he said was that he had fought in the Falklands War (and had been awarded the South Atlantic Medal which he wore with great pride), but looking at the dates of the conflict, he was only 15 at the time the war started! He was subsequently dismissed for gross misconduct.
This desire to present a polished, impressive version of ourselves isn’t limited to the famous. In our own lives, we often find ourselves adding a little extra sparkle to our achievements, downplaying our weaknesses, or carefully curating our profiles. We want to be seen as capable, successful, and worthy. We crave external validation, often feeling that our worth is tied to what we do or what we appear to be.
In perhaps the most well-known New Testament passage on identity (Matthew 16), Jesus cuts through all this human tendency for embellishment and external presentation. He asks his disciples a direct and profoundly personal question: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They offer a range of popular opinions – John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah. All good, respected figures. But then Jesus turns the question directly to them, making it intensely personal and impossible to sidestep: “But what about you? Who do you say I am?”
It’s Simon Peter, the impulsive but inspired disciple, who speaks the words that echo through history: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter wasn’t trying to impress Jesus or the other disciples. He wasn’t embellishing his answer with popular theories or flattering words. This was a revelation; a deep, authentic truth given by God himself.
And in that moment, Peter’s own identity was profoundly shaped. He wasn’t just a fisherman anymore, or a man prone to missteps. In declaring Jesus as the Messiah, his true purpose, calling, and understanding of himself began to be transformed. He became Peter, the “rock,” not because of his own impressive qualities, but because his identity became inextricably linked to the one he proclaimed as the rock.
This powerful exchange reminds us that our true identity isn’t found in the embellished CVs we present to the world, nor in the fleeting accolades of others. It’s found in our honest answer to Jesus’ question: “Who do you say I am?” It is a question we must all face and all answer. And in doing so we discover, as Peter did, something about God and a lot more about who we are.
We’ll be exploring this passage a little further when we meet together this coming Sunday in a joint parish service at St Mary’s at 10.00am. It’s been a while since we have met together as a ‘united church’ here in the Worthys, so we are looking forward to welcoming St Swithun’s parishioners to St Mary’s and renewing friendship and fellowship once again.
I do hope you’ll join John Sweeting and I as we lead this service, and that through it we’ll discover a deeper sense of who we truly are because of who Jesus is and what he says about us.
Revd Paul