What’s in a name?
“Hi, Charles,” the barista called out as I entered the coffee shop.
Without thinking, I said “Hello,” and started my order. As I was waiting, I thought how interesting it was that this barista called me by name. I don’t go to coffee shops every day, but there are two or three I sometimes go into and do some writing. While I did recognize the barista who greeted me, I am sad to say that I didn’t know his name.
Honestly, although I work around people all the time, I sometimes struggle with names. It’s not because I don’t care about people or think they are unimportant. It’s usually because I am either interested in asking them about their lives or I am simply in a hurry and want to be friendly and chat before I have to quickly move on to another part of the day.
There is something special about knowing and saying someone’s name, though. Despite my struggle when it comes to names, I have made a stronger effort over the past several years to do a better job of learning and remembering them.
God knows the importance of names. Our name is a gift given to us (unless we have it legally changed!), but we have an unusual relationship with our name. For instance, our actions often can bring a sense of comfort when a name is spoken, or it can bring a sense of dread. Think of parents who have intense discussions about names, sometimes disqualifying an otherwise perfectly good one simply because someone in their lives with that same moniker did something harmful. Also, think of the many names of historical figures that are avoided for obvious reasons, like Judas and Adolf, for instance.
Our names are important, but what we do with them is more important. Shakespeare wrote in the famous play, “A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.” That may be true, but we know that the significance or notoriety of our name is tied deeply to us and can even follow us after death.
The good news is that God knows our name, according to the Bible. He “calls us by name.” Passages that suggest this in the Bible simply mean that God knows us intimately and is glad to do so. We also see instances in the Bible where God changes the name of someone. He does this as a symbol of the opportunity for a new start – a new name that from that point on will be identified with God’s redemptive love and grace.
How are you caring for your name? If the answer is not what you want it to be, then you don’t necessarily have to change your actual name. However, you can allow God to do the work of changing your heart. As that happens, the blemishes on your name can be washed away.
