The non-indispensability of a happy accessory

Princess Jerina Dushmani, wife of Arbër Prince Lekë Zaharia (1440s)

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.” - John 15:5

I better skip the next verse but, if you like, you can give check it out for yourself, so as to understand the fate of the branches that feel self-sufficient and wish to leave “home”. I am choosing to explain why this verse is getting stronger every day as my philosophy for life.

I do not know if this ever happens to you, but as for me, at least once a month (especially during dark rainy days) I happen to fall into an “existential crisis” so deep that I start doubting my usefulness and relevance (!!!) in this world. My closest friends can tell me many things to encourage and bring me back to the right way of thinking, and yet they may receive from me answers similar to “yeah, yeah, that's right”. It is no easy task being around me when in such conditions. I would bring forth to the discussion table all the possible reasoning to convince you that I am totally unnecessary, irrelevant (!!!!) and without any practical importance. The best part though is that this is all true, not just some thrill from a girl with self-esteem issues. In fact, this is true for all of you who are reading this note.

Let me explain. To go right into the core of the issue, I want to remind you of a fundamental truth that I am sure you all know. The only being that is self-sufficient, self-generated and with independent existence in the universe is God. No matter how much this statement may be taken for granted, it is also the most stepped-upon truth, since the beginning of human history. When God created man, it was clear that He created him not out of need, but, as our people say, “for sheer pleasure”. The Lord was already complete in Himself, not only before the creation of man, but also before the creation of any heavenly creature. God, Who is a Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - has within Himself the perfect fellowship and could never feel the need of any complementary being. However, in the first chapters of the book of Genesis, it is very clear that God - being the Creator he is - likes creating and being surrounded by beautiful things.

That is why man was created: because God is good and he finds pleasure in all things beautiful (Genesis 1:10, 25, 31). Though this seems like (and is!) a major reason to feel satisfied and complete, man very soon found problems with living as an accessory, made “for sheer pleasure”. There is no need for me to continue with the story of the fall of man, but I would like to emphasise that it came exactly from a feeling that is still experienced today as strongly as it was then: the identity crisis. On its part, the identity crisis undoubtly flows out of pride - be that pride expressed as depression, low self-esteem or high self-satisfaction.

When man forgets he is merely an accessory, not an originally indispensable unity, problems come out to the surface. But why should we ever dislike our status of accessories? Oh yes! - because since our first parents (Adam and Eve), we have always craved the status of God, and we do not really need to take examples of dictators to prove this. The craving to play God is present in us all, without exceptions; it is just that in some of us it shows itself more shamelessly, whereas the majority of people expresses it in phrases “master of oneself”. This is not only ridiculous, but also man’s curse, because not only will man never be God (not even master of himself, in absolute terms), but this pushes him to live without the one and only true Lord, as the later will never bow to becoming man’s accessory.

It is time (it has always been time!) to understand that identity, in crisis or by efforts, never changes, and happy is the man who finds pleasure in being an accessory, because he has understood life correctly. The term accessory may sound offensive and humbling, but it is oh so honourable actually. Do you not understand that an accessory, though totally unnecessary, is very dear to its owner? In the case of friends, do you not feel better around those who stay with you just for the sheer pleasure of your friendship, and not because they need any services from you? How come then, that in relation to the Lord, we do not accept living as accessories who bring Him joy, and not as some kind of independent agent? He, while not needing me, chooses to bring me to life, to descend from His heavenly glory, die on the cross and rise the third day so that I (and you), this lowly creature He was already complete without, may have fellowship with Him and rejoice in the beauty of His love that takes no benefits.

To try and make the status of accessories more “acceptable”, I will add a personal example that has to do with my favourite accessory: sunglasses. I love them! I can find all kinds of “reasons” for myself to buy new sunglasses, as often as possible if I have the means: the heat, fashionable models, their combination to some clothes for which I already have a suitable pair of shades, etc., etc. But, so as not to run the risk of sounding like I have some addiction (because I actually have very few sunglasses if we consider how much I like them), I want to say quickly that, in the end, sunglasses are nothing but accessories, no matter how necessary I make them to be. When I leave my house, I am complete, with or without sunglasses. Nevertheless, when I walk past some store or stand where they sell sunglasses, I like to gaze at them, looking back while walking, a little like boys when a pretty girl walks across the street :-)

I know it may sound like a ridiculous comparison, but it is a personal observation that has helped me a lot lately to imagine the pleasure God feels and the joy in His eyes when I walk across the street, when I sleep, when I work, when I serve Him… when I simply live. This is just as true for each and every one of you. I love my sunglasses and, in my weird imagination, I am sure that if they were conscious beings, they would feel pleasure in my pleasure with them. I am sure they would feel complete as sunglasses and that they would not crave to be… well, me… or scarves, earrings, or whatever other accessory.

One last thing: it is also extremely dangerous to want to change the kind of accessory you are. The identity crisis is harshly evidenced even in our lack of satisfaction with the way our Owner has created us, with the function, gifts and ministry assigned to each of us; because, to be sure, He has a use for every accessory who is willing to be used by Him. But, if you happen to feel useless when compared to another accessory, well, stop a little to remind yourself of who you are; then work a little bit harder on the acceptance of that and in allowing the Master to bring you more and more towards the original and ultimate goal He has for you. Furthermore, when we happily accept that, before the Lord, we are pleasure-giving accessories and not indispensable pieces, it comes easier to us to serve in accessorising one another, so that all together we might be a beautiful garment of our common Owner.

The vine is complete in itself, and the branches can neither be born, nor can they stay alive without it. My God is complete in Himself, and neither do I complete Him, nor am I complete without Him. I am just an accessory for the pleasure of my Lord, with the hope and passion that He will look good when He chooses to use me when and how He likes. He will always look good anyway, and I am happy I am part of that. I, my friends, am a happy accessory, a very happy accessory!

One more thing: In ancient Greek, the noun "cosmos" meant not only "order" or "universe", but was also used to mean "decor", especially as referred to jewelry a beautiful lady would compliment her figure by. Apparently, ancient Greeks could not understand perfect order without the pure joy of pleasure coming from "beauty for the sake of beauty". Decor was not indispensable in itself - it is a question of enjoying beauty. The first ideal thought of in decor is that of beauty, then followed by correctness on how to put it to life. A beautiful lady thinks first of the beauty of her jewels, which are essentially unnecessary. She then concerns herself with finding the perfect ones for her. The Creator made the cosmos, including us, in perfect order, a cosmos still showing His fingerprints and still keeping everything together even after all the fall that has taken place. It was maybe His property over beauty and the enjoyment of it that made Him first think of all this order that still reflects His beauty, regardless of all the fall. We are not here out of usefulness, but for beauty on the Great Beauty's side.