Who am I?

That’s a difficult question to answer, but I feel that you, the reader, have a right to know something about me.  The problem with such a question is that every answer, any answer, will be both incomplete and temporary.  An answer will be incomplete because I can only offer snapshots of deeds and labels of my life.  Some of these are offered in my little bio below. Any answer will also be temporary because I, like you, am growing, evolving, becoming every day through every experience.  What I think today may be modified by tomorrow’s new input.  What I feel today may be fading or intensifying by tomorrow.  The best answer I can give is the answer I give myself:  I am a unique expression of Godde’s creativity.  But that answer doesn’t tell you much at all!

The first time the question was recorded as having been asked and answered was in the Torah, Exodus 3.  Moses, as the story relates, was instructed by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.  Moses asked: "when I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' if they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?" God replied, "I am who am." (NAB)

What a wonderful response!  How could Godde possibly convey who Godde is?  How can anyone?  I believe that the answer is revealed only within relationship.  I have many relationships – spouse, children, friends of various degrees, religious sisters with whom I associate, professional colleagues, students, fellow parish volunteers, acquaintances, neighbors, etc.  Each relationship is unique, and reflects not only a part of who I am, but also a part of the other, and the unique way we interrelate.  Who I know the other to be, and who the other knows me to be is also dynamic, relying on our shared experiences.  There are similarities, especially between the relationships of people who occupy a similar position in my life.  There are common threads to the relationships I have with each of my children, and a different set of common threads in the relationships with students, for example.

I believe that Godde is revealed in relationship, too.  My personal relationship with Godde is shaped by the images and concepts presented to me by my culture, my ability to free myself from those cultural restraints, my willingness to be receptive to others’ images, my imagination, and my openness to the silent voice within me.

So who am I to you?  I hope that in the months to come we will develop a relationship of sorts.  You will discover some of who I am, and I hope that you will respond if something I say strikes a chord in you.  Drop me a line at candy@judithstable.org.

See biographies for all our Judith's Table feature columnists at the Meet Our Columnists page from the left menu.