171: Try a Different Kind of Spiritual Quiz — If You’re Honest, Your Answer Is Right

“God of my life, I give you thanks and praise that I have life, and that my life is filled with touches of your love. … Help me to discover my identity. Let me understand how best to use the gifts You have so lovingly lavished upon me in preparation for our journey together.”
from J. Brent Bill’s new book, “Sacred Compass: The Way of Spiritual Discernment”

    On most Tuesdays, we publish quizzes on spiritual themes. Some readers email us with complaints that the quizzes are too difficult. Others email us with thanks for the challenge. Some of our quizzes — like “The Bard and the Bible” or “A SUPER-spiritual Quiz” — have spread across the Internet.
    But we’ve never offered a quiz quite like today’s challenge.
    The good news is: If you’re honest, you’ll get it right.

    Today’s Quiz is this:
    Accept the same challenge our IKEA pilgrims faced near the end of their long, reflective journey through the housewares mega-store. No, you won’t have the benefit of the meditations our pilgrims read at various stops throughout the store. But, you can go back to Monday’s story about the pilgrimage and review how our first group of ReadTheSpirit pilgrims responded to this challenge.
    There’s only one question today:

    “What kind of tool are you?”

    Readers peppered me with emails on Monday about our IKEA story.
    A woman from Dallas Emailed: “I thought you had gone too far here, but when I read what the people said to you — I could tell they were listening to God. … I kept reading. … I think I am the pliers I saw there. We need to bring people together. I do what I can.”
    Later, a caller asked me what tool I am.
    (I’ll tell you at the end of today’s quiz.)
    Then, a couple of readers said I should have mentioned Anthony Newley. Jack Wilson said: “Are you aware of Anthony Newley’s song, ‘What Kind of Fool Am I’? I saw that show years ago in New York and I saw him sing it on TV, more than once, I think.”
    (And, yes, I am aware that we’re echoing the title of his song, which was part of the musical comedy, “Stop the World — I Want to Get Off.”)

    (If you’d care to read our entire series on “tools of discernment,” here are links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.)

    CLEARLY, readers want to take this challenge themselves.
    So, are you:

A Screw Driver (above)

An Adjustable Wrench (above)

Or, a Carpenter’s Level

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A Hammer

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A Carpenter’s Pencil

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A Pair of Pliers

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A Rubber Mallet

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A Tape Measure

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A Saw

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    This week, we can’t reveal answers to you — because your answer already is within you.

    What am I? I’m the pencil, I think, the one who tries to sketch and mark out the shape of things emerging around us.

    Feel free to share this quiz with others. You’re free to repost it, reprint it, share it with friends. It’s a great discussion-starter for a small group — especially around the theme of discernment and vocation.

    COME BACK tomorrow for our Conversation With J. Brent Bill, whose “Sacred Compass” uses a central tool metaphor to introduce traditional techniques of spiritual discernment. We’ll also review his book tomorrow.
    Tell Us What You Think! Keep up the dialogue. You can always Email ReadTheSpirit Editor David Crumm — but we’d also love to see the conversation spill into the online world. So, think about clicking on the “Comment” link at the end of the online version of this story.

    OR, click on the “Digg” link below and add a very brief “digg” comment — even a phrase — to this story’s listing on Digg-It, which will tell even more folks worldwide that it’s worth reading:

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