Who Am I?

Lately on Facebook there have been a lot of posts helping folks identify who they are through a series of quizzes from a website called BuzzFeed.  BuzzFeed has developed a who lot of quizzes based on movies, music types, television shows, and even politics in which they ask “which character are you . . . or who are you . . . from ____________?”  The individual answers a series of questions . . . few of them very serious . . . and, at the end, the website gives a character that fits the individual answering the questions.  Now, this is not rocket science that the website is performing, but it sure is popular.

I have had a lot of friends answering the questions and discovering who they are . . . and, then posting the results on FaceBook . . . hundreds of thousands of times a day!  It seems as if BuzzFeed has a quiz for everything under the sun to help people learn more about who they are.  Inquiring minds want to know . . . we all have inquiring minds . . . and, the hope of the website is that these FaceBook postings will entice people to take the quiz and visit the website.  It is pure economics . . . the more hits on their sites, the more people who see the advertising on their website, and thus more money that they make.  Even though I understand the ploy, I must admit that my inquiring mind got the best of me . . . I had to know . . . who am I?

As a Beatle, I was Paul.  As a Muppet, I was Beaker.  From the Princess Bride, I was the Albino.  Under hard rock . . . I was Led Zeppelin.  I was a little floored by some of the people I was told that I was according to the quizzes I took.  I never saw myself as Paul McCartney . . . I thought that I was more of the John Lennon type, but my oldest son said that he saw me more as Ringo . . . Ringo!  As a Muppet , I sure did not see myself as the squeaky Beaker . . . I thought of myself as more of a Fozzie Bear . . . if you have ever heard my jokes you would understand why.  Under the Princess Bride . . . well, to be honest with you . . . I forgot all about the Albino character in the movie.  But come on, the Albino!  Led Zeppelin was the only one I agreed with . . . at least for one album anyways.  But these are the characters that I was according to the quizzes . . . these were the characteristics of my personality . . . these were who I was.

After reaching the level of disappointment that comes from not getting the results one wants from taking these online personality quizzes . . . I quit take them.  I also quit because I was scared to see who else I might be compared to.  Would I be Ross if there was a Friends quiz?  Would I be Tweety Bird if there were a Warner Brothers cartoon quiz?  Would I be Newman when I really want to be like Kramer on Seinfeld?  When taking these quizzes I think we all hope that we are the coolest characters . . . the stars . . . I know that I do.  But, it never seems to happen . . . I am never who I think I should be.  Of course, that is not the point of the quizzes . . . the point of the quizzes is to reveal who we are most like . . . to reveal our personality traits . . . to help us see ourselves through others.  But, come on . . . the Albino from the Princess Bride!  The dude didn’t even get to use a sword!  How uncool is that?

Hopefully none of us take these quizzes too seriously . . . after all, they are for entertainment purposes only.  I doubt if a trained counselor or psychologist or psychiatrist would ever whip out one of these quizzes to determine our mental state . . . unless of course our willingness to do the test in the first place is an indication of our mental state.  They are for fun.  Yet, deep down within ourselves, I think that we secretly hope that we do learn something about who we are.

I have spent over 55 years now searching for who I am?  If anyone has seen me, please let me know . . . but, I have spent a lifetime trying to understand who it is that God created me to be.  Every time that I think that I have who I am figured out . . . God or life throws me a curve ball and I am back to square one questioning who I am.  I think that is the way that God designed it . . . sort of a Holy pop quiz that is constantly changing.  Who I am today is compiled of all the experiences, thoughts, emotions, and adventures that have been a part of my life up to this point . . . tomorrow that will change because it will be a new day with all new things . . . the quiz keeps changing.

Even though the quiz keeps changing . . .even though I keep coming up with characters I really don’t like or care about . . . and, even though I am lousy at taking quizzes, I keep plugging away.  I keep searching for who I am . . . who God created me to be.  That is a big part of what God wants me to do . . . discover who I am.  Then God wants me to use that person to love God and love others so that we might eventually realize the Kingdom of God.  I think it is a life-long adventure and journey.  That is the biggest and most important quiz any of us can take . . . not who we are in some movie or book, but who we are as created by God. 

Yes, it is a life-long adventure and journey . . .

I have climbed the highest mountain

I have run through the fields

Only to be with you

Only to be with you

I have run, I have crawled

I have scaled these city walls

These city walls

Only to be with you

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I have kissed honey lips

Felt the healing in her fingertips

It burned like fire

This burning desire

I have spoke with the tongue of angels

I have held the hand of a devil

It was warm in the night

I was cold as a stone

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I believe in the kingdom come

Then all the colours will bleed into one

Bleed into one

Well, yes, I'm still running

You broke the bonds and you

Loosed the chains

Carried the cross

And my shame

All my shame

You know I believe it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

Don't go away

I'll sing my love for you

Don't go away

Oh you know I love this place

Don't go away

I won't go without you baby

Don't go away

Don't go away

(I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2)