A couple of days after my birthday I was amused to receive this message: ‘This is a bit late – but hope you had a happy birthday. It is on our calendar, but J thought that it was J&F’s (son and daughter-in-law) cat’s birthday (also called Malcolm).’ … I don’t think I’ve ever been confused with a cat before.
I have confused identity.
When I retired from teaching in 2008 I was uncertain who I was. For forty years ‘being a teacher’ was part of my identity. I was no longer paid for being a teacher, but was I still a teacher inside? Did it remain part of who I was? Is it a gift I possess, is it part of my character, or is it just a job I did?
I have uncertain identity.
Tomorrow’s an important day for Norwich City. We finished sixth in the Championship. It’s the first match in the play-offs, to decide which team will be promoted to the Premiership. In the last thirty years we’ve been promoted six times, then relegated seven. We’re a ‘yoyo club’. Am I a Premiership Club supporter or a Championship Club Supporter?
I have variable identity.
At church on Sunday we were thinking about the occasion when Jesus met Peter on the sea shore and asked him, ‘Do you love me?’ Peter, who had recently sworn that he had nothing to do with Jesus, replied ‘You know that I love you.’ I identify with Peter. I sometimes say one thing and do another.
I have inconsistent identity.
Yesterday I was reading about the teachings of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. One of the central characteristics of Ignatian spirituality is ‘Finding God in All Things’. God the Creator can be seen in all of his creation. There’s no divide between the sacred and the secular. God can be seen in everything – nature, people, the arts, literature, science, silence… even me, in my mixed-up identity. God can be seen in me!
In this I have identity.
malcolmsmusings.org 
Though I am not Catholic, I treasure the quotes and prayers of Saint Ignatius, and now you’ve supplied me with yet another one. Thank you, Malcolm.
Forty years is quite a legacy as an educator. I just completed my twentieth. Would you believe we have a teacher in my school who has taught for 53 years?!
As God said to someone in the OT, “Your strength will equal your days.”
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Thanks, David. I’m not an expert on St Ignatius, but he certainly challenges me – whether I agree with him or disagree with him. He was certainly a man of faith who knew his God.
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As always, you’ve encouraged my soul, Brother Teacher!
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Thanks, Mark. It’s encouraging for me too, then – but humbling.
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I appreciate the article. I thought I had left the search for my identity behind after my teens. As an adult, I realized I just pushed it in the back of my mind but still searched for who I was. There is hope. Things solidified when I accepted I was a child of God first. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for the kind comment. I think, ‘Who am I?’ is a question we ask repeatedly through our lives as we change and our situations change.
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Thanks for starting this post with a touch of laughter. I have never been confused with a cat before but when I was much younger many would call me Lisa and not Julie which confused me because the names are not even close to sounding alike. Since there was a song, ‘I’m not Lisa my name is Julie’ I used it as my personal theme song.
I liked the teaching you shared about finding God in all things, because I hear and see Him in things that are not religious, and I have been sharing songs that are not faith based or Christian, but the words have been speaking to me, as if God was talking to me. I know it sounds crazy but there is power in the words we choose. I actually have another song that I will be writing about and with your permission would like attach a link to this post. If you say yes I will come back to this post and let you know when I have finished it.
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If I understand Ignatian spirituality correctly he didn’t distinguish between the sacred and the secular. I’m with you – I see God in friends that aren’t Christians, songs that aren’t specifically Christian, community gatherings…
And yes – please do with the post as you see fit.. God bless you
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Thank you Malcolm I included a link to this post on my post, ‘My name’s not Lisa’. Many blessings to you to you and your loved ones.
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Well, the reason your friend gave you for being late with his birthday wish to you was a good one! Thank you for sharing it and Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s poignant quote. As a young Christian, I remember learning “God is everywhere” early on. It kept me-for the most part-on the straight and narrow. 🙂
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Yes, Nancy. ‘God is everywhere’ is easy to say, but when we work out what it actually means, in detail, it affects
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…everything in our lives…
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Malcolm, was pleasantly surprised to see Norwich City mentioned. When I first started to really get into the Premier League and The Championship I had adopted the Canaries as my club because I was attracted to the green and yellow, as well as their nickname. They are indeed a “yoyo” club but I hope they can push across at least one more goal than Leeds this week and get a shot at returning to the upper tier. Fortunately, I consider my religious identity not inconsistent at all.😊
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We live 20 miles from Norwich, so go to see them regularly, Bruce. What happens on Thursday… we shall wait and see. I’m encouraged through the story of Peter that from his inconsistency, with God’s help and growing faith he learnt to live out his ‘You know that I love you’.
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