Who are you? Who, who, who, who?

"Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
Who are you? Who, who, who, who?"

Who are you? Do you know? If not you probably you want to, and none of us know completely. Occasionally some of us are afraid to find out, but until we know who we are, we're essentially lost in the crowd. If we don't know who we are, there's always someone around us ready to tell us. They're usually wrong.

So, who defines us?

Sometimes, we define ourselves. This is natural and within boundaries OK, but (a) it's limiting and (b) can have negative results. Perhaps we observe ourselves, and declare, "OK, I see this, therefore this is who I am." Or maybe we just decide, "This is who and what I want to be, therefore, that's who I'll be." We can do worse, but we can do better as well. Since all of us are flawed, if we attempt to create our own reality of ourselves, or create us in our own image, the result will have flaws we can't even know, much less address. Even the most observant, brightest and honest person has a limited view; we can usually see part of the forest or some of the trees, but that's it.

Sometimes we let other people define us. This is also natural and within boundaries OK, but the same caveats apply. Others can see things we can't, but there are always things they will judge wrong, or can't even begin to know or guess at reasonably. And some of them just want to manipulate us for their own reasons. At best that makes us objects to be used, pawns in a game. At worst, it makes us slaves as we are trapped in our belief of who someone else said we are. To some extent, we will always get who we are from others-- our parents, our friends, our teachers, our mentors, even our enemies. Just make sure that before you embrace it or let it take root, that they're right.

Sometimes we let circumstances define us. This appears to be a mixture of the first two, but in reality it's just a passive or passive-aggressive version of defining ourselves. We simply react to what's going on around us, and let our emotions and instincts rule us. The result can be difficult to distinguish from an animal; at best it's merely pitiful. Do you know someone who's always angry, or always sad, or at least always emotional and incapable of doing much about it? Or someone who just drifts along? Or who at best is just never happy? Or mindlessly content? All of these people become ineffective in life, if not apparently useless. Who wants to live there? (I realize that sometimes these are symptomatic of deeper problems require counseling; that's another issue.)

We can let God define us. He made us and knows us inside and out, backward and forward, past present and future. He loves us, every last one of us, and wants the best for us. Who better to define us? Who better to tell us who we are, and how to become that person? It's not the easiest path. It's not always a fun path. But the result is infinitely better than the others, because it's the right path. We don't hit all those dead ends, sink in all those bogs, or end up as buzzard bait in the middle of the desert.

The title of this note (and opening lyrics) came from a song by the Who. A thorough band of heathens, they never the less came up with a profound image of the concept. Well into the song they say,

"God, there's got to be another way."

Presumably "God" in this context is just an exclamation of despair, an accidental prayer rather than an intentional one. But I love where they go with this.

"I know there's a place you walked
Where love falls from the trees
My heart is like a broken cup
I only feel right on my knees

"I spit out like a sewer hole
Yet still receive your kiss
How can I measure up to anyone now
After such a love as this?"

Wherever they were coming from, they summed it up nicely. So long as we try to define ourselves against the vast panorama of creation and God's glory, we can't measure up. But if we quit trying, and let the creator and the glorious one define us, then we recognize our place in that vast panorama, that glory, that kiss, "such a love as this". And we can not only be content with who we are, we can revel, rejoice, party in it-- and be right.

Not sure who holds the copyright to the lyrics, the Who, their record company, or... who.