THE QUESTION OF HUMAN IDENTITY 1- BY CLEMENT ERNESTERICK

This question, who do they say I am?, is very psychoanalytic and to matters of mental functions, a psychiatric query, where the analyst (therapist) is faced with interpretation styles: total transference, technical neutrality and countertransference.

That's a question that takes me back to Psychology (I did Educational Psychology while at Campus as a Course). It's a deep, eternal & existential question that seeks self-understanding from the perspectives of the other. What are people saying I am? Whom am I to other people? 

Elijah, John the Baptist, One of the ancient prophets has risen and finally The Christ of God. All these personalities are representations of something higher: Elijah represented prophets and prophecies, John represented renewal of Spirit by birth; a regeneration/resurrection/re-incarnation. Yet, one of ancient prophets depicted not only the belief in the resurrection but also the certainty in the power of Godly people coming back to life again. Looking deeply into the Personality of Jesus, he was embodiment of all these. But the Name Jesus Christ spoke of Peter's understanding of who Jesus (the Man) was in regards to revelation from above: God our Salvation, who's eternally righteous due to prescient anointing.  

The man Jesus was yet understood as to who he was/is: God from above enfleshed.

But that's relevant question to us today. Who are we to other people?

Personally, I've been likened to many things, positive and negative alike. To others, 'wind passing by', 'God-Man', ' traditionalist', 'good, clement man', 'genius of all', 'man of his word', etc.

Names given to us carry a lot of weight and are pointers (symbolic) of metaphysical properties/things eg John means God is gracious thus it is a symbol of grace. These identities given us also point to what we are, what we ought to act up to (responsibility we owe to humanity and nature, and God) and when the names are in negative, they stir us to act better; transform our being to suit the set standards. 

So the question itself while it has undertones of therapeutic methods, it in itself defines what identity is: uninterrupted constant flow. The three therapeutic methods: transference ---refers to the phenomenon where patients redirect feelings toward important figures from their past onto the therapist, countertransference---involves the therapist's emotional responses to the patient, influenced by their own experiences, technical neutrality--- is the therapist's ability to maintain a neutral stance, avoiding personal biases; invites exploration of external perceptions and their impact on self-concept.

In broader contexts, understanding how others perceive us can reveal insights into our own identities, relationships, and social interactions.

Jesus after doing the due proper assessment, maintained his self-concept. In other words, identity is something that cannot be changed as it remains but Jesus' identity is one that's unique: entailed saving his own from the crooked path. God in man's flesh who through hardship without cause, hard formed the mental and physical fortitude that could not bend to lower standards and as a result sought to reform his lost creation to the very original standards for which it was once formed for.

What people say about you has something to tell us about your identity. The crowd, through His disciples, identified Jesus with important figures of the past, the present and one who defeated all odds: risen ancient figure all of which pointing to the sublimities; prophet---mouthpiece of God, John---Graciousness and finally the Object of Resurrection.

© CLEMENT MWAKA ERNESTERICK

- Kenya