Identity

The last time Abel Madariaga saw his pregnant wife, Silvia, was when Argentine security forces dressed as civilians grabbed her, pushed her inside a Ford Falcon and sped off with her in a cloud of dust. They were members of the leftist Montoneros which was “targeted for elimination by government death squads” during the late 70s to early 80s. (Source: guardian.co.uk) The abductors brought her to Campo de Mayo in Buenos Aires, “one of Argentina’s largest and most notorious clandestine torture centers” where she gave birth. A military officer took home the baby with the umbilical cord still attached. Madariaga narrowly escaped. He went on a self-imposed exile. Knowing in his heart that his wife is already dead, he spent the next 33 years searching for his child. His human rights group even lobbied for the creation of a national DNA database, which so far helped in identifying 100 children of the disappeared political dissidents.

The Madariagas finally reunited!

Finally, after more than 3 “decades of doubt and loneliness, of searching faces in the street in hopes they might be related,” Madariaga found his son, named Alejandro Ramiro Gallo. When the abusive family he grew up with broke apart, Alejandro mustered enough courage to confront his adoptive mother (he always felt he never belonged to the family) and finally learned the truth about his true identity. So, after a DNA test, it was a tearful reunion. Madariaga recounted,“When he came through the door that night, we recognized each other totally, and the hug that brought us together was spectacular. At times I wondered what the hell I was living for. I had to find a way to continue, thinking about everyday things, hoping for this moment of happiness. Hugging him that first time, it was as if I filled a hole in my soul.”Alejandro now goes by the name Francisco Madariaga, the name his parents always wanted for him. “To have your identity is the most beautiful thing there is. For the first time, I know who I was. Who I am.”

I believe that’s also the very reason why God in His Word clearly spelled out our identity in Christ. To know who we are in Christ is one of the most beautiful truths of the Bible. For starters, in Ephesians 1, we see that because the Father selected us, we were set apart (vv. 3-6). Because the Son sacrificed for us, we were set free (vv. 7-12). Because the Spirit sealed us, we are secure (vv. 13-14).

Brethren, remember who we are in Christ.

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