Dennis Uhlman writes about how the movie A Complete Unknown captures the inability to pigeonhole Bob Dylan into a specific identity. He writes, “The movie highlights something important to understand about Dylan: he is an enigma who can write songs that captivate the imagination and the human experience, while simultaneously caring very little about the reaction of the public to those very songs” (Dennis Uhlman, “What Does A Complete Unknown Teach Us about Finding Our Own Identity?,” Christ and Pop Culture, March 17, 2025, https://christandpopculture.com/what-does-a-complete-unknown-teach-us-about-finding-our-identity/). Dylan was (is?) a folk icon, rock star, Christian, Grammy and Nobel prize winner, rich man, iron worker, painter, chess wiz, and ever-changing human, among other things. He defies being defined but is committed to growth, even if it’s messy. Can Dylan’s way of life inspire the believer? “My hope for Christians is that they would embrace an identity that is constantly expanding rather than one that is static. Is our identity in the finished work of Christ? Of course it is! But that identity becomes more robust and fleshed out as we walk the path of life. Because of this, Christians must adopt a more robust view of self than the one that the past few decades of identity talk has given us. While there is much to retain in this concept—such as the way Christ thinks about us and our inability to earn our way into love, for example—there is also tremendous beauty in the way our lives unfold” (Uhlman, “What Does A Complete Unknown Teach Us?”). Dylan’s commitment to be a revolutionary artist allowed him to step outside the expectations of others and pursue his personal calling. As believers, can we live with such a mindset on our own mission to live out what God has called you and I to do? With a clear personal mission, can we overcome the comparison trap that halts our growth and sidelines our purpose? If you wrote your own mission statement, what would it say?
