Comments on: Who am I?

By: MOM

MOM — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 01:50:11 +0000

Adam,
the question to me certainly is “what am I here for”. How would God like to use the me He created to serve His purposes for his eternal plans best. That would be a much better search than dwelling on the “I” or ME search. I find life so much more exciting as I wait on the Holy Spirit to direct me to my next task than I would seeking one thing after another to find out who I am. For if I am not in Jesus Christ I am nothing.
MOM

By: Tara

Tara — Thu, 31 May 2007 03:28:05 +0000

I enjoyed reading this, thanks for your insightfulness, Adam!

By: Adam B.

Adam B. — Tue, 29 May 2007 21:56:08 +0000

Since you asked, this post began as an introduction to thoughts on humility before becoming its own entry. I think your comment has sensed the hidden path of my original intention. Honestly, I am not certain how important it is to “discover who I am” in light of the command to love one another. Can I give of myself before I truly know myself? I think I can. How important is self-discovery in our search for the divine? I think many today would see it as essential. As an outsider to this whole dilemma I am not sure.
I too have found questions of purpose helpful (what am I here for) because they ask how I can best serve my neighbor instead of looking to exalt myself. In this sense self-discovery is very helpful.

By: Steven K

Steven K — Tue, 29 May 2007 21:44:52 +0000

So, what happened, these kind of entries don’t just come out of nowhere? Question of the generation, yes, answerable, probably not, relevant, as much as you make it (like that little bit of postmodern thought I shoved in there to patch that one up)?

It reminds me of a character named Matty from the novel “Darkness Visible” by Golding. He struggled with a similar question which kept evolving. I think it was something like: “who am I, what am I, what am I for?” I enjoyed Golding’s progression of the question of self and the last portion, “what am I for” always struck me the most as a Christian. It seems to be the most relevant in regards to what our place is in life as it combines with our theology.

I figure that God is interested in who we are and what we become, but I also suppose that that is only important in relation to how usable it allows us to be. Many “Christ” figures across literature are not people you’d want to be, want to know, or even want to come across is a dark alley, but they had this knack to conjure change in others and spark redemption. They were definitely human and their imprint upon the world behind them holy and divine, but they didn’t have it together, they didn’t know who they were in the way you quote the question of our generation. They were just used.

Not that Christ is anyone who promotes positive change nor was he simply some fool used by God, but in a way that seems to be what we were called to by the example Christ did leave.

What am I for? Could this be what we ask ourselves from now on, putting aside our own senses of accomplishment and rights and personal comfort sprung from a legacy of surrounding ourselves with that which might show everyone and ourselves who we are?

By: www.ecclesiology.us

www.ecclesiology.us — Tue, 29 May 2007 20:24:50 +0000

Very insightful. I love it. I didn’t fall into that cultural trap, because of my particular upbringing where I learned how to not give a ****. I was forced to define myself and did so comfortably.

I see that same problem as normal and completely widespread. We must learn what men (or women) we are first. Then we must decide who it is we wish to be. Then we act to become it. We hold the destiny to our own lives. All the keys are in our hands. But perhaps you have given away those keys…