Posts Tagged: names

“LABELS?  OR NAMES?”

On August 2, 2018 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

My wife and I were talking about labels today.

No, we were not discussing labels on canned goods or jelly jars. We were discussing labels for people.  My wife often provokes me to say something wise.  She did that this morning.

“I think the labels we give people gives us the illusion of knowing them, while we really don’t know them at all,” I said.  And then I added, “The only label that we should use for people is their name.”

But, of course, we don’t know people’s real names either, do we?

Take the labels “liberal” and “conservative,” for example.  I describe myself as fairly conservative theologically, but fairly liberal politically.  I have a guy on my softball team who describes himself as an “ultra-conservative.”  But the question that I asked him is the same I ask everyone and myself as well: “What are you conserving?”

In fact, I need to ask myself two questions: “What am I conserving? About what am I being liberal?”  Simply labeling myself is as pointless as labeling other people.

And what is my name?

Both the Old and New Testament talk a lot about names.  They also talk a lot about having a change of names.

In a previous blog posted on this site, I wrote about my struggle with depression.  That post is called “A Man Named Forgiven.”  You can go back and read it, if you like.

But, in the context of labels and names, I need to remember that I don’t know the real name of anyone I encounter today.  I don’t know the real name of the guys on my softball team.  I don’t even know the real name of my wife of forty-five years.

And I dare not label anyone.  Why?  Because labeling is a shortcut for trying to really understand them.  If I really know their name/s, I don’t need shortcuts, and if I don’t really know their names, a shortcut is another term for a dead end.

Perhaps I shouldn’t even label myself.  Perhaps that is a dead end as well.

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“ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NAMES”

On February 27, 2018 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

I have discovered a wonderful website called A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg.  In addition to my Scripture reading, prayers, and addiction recovery activities, it is a very important part of how I begin my day.  (Anu Garg would probably be amazed to find that a Christian finds his writings to be extremely helpful, but at this Christian does!  Hey!  Truth is truth wherever you find it.)

As an introduction to today’s word (and, indeed as an introduction to this week’s words), Garg tells a wonderful story about a flight attendant he encountered.  Her name was “Frankly.”  No story behind the name; her father just wanted to name her that.

Names are important.  If we have children, it is important what we name them.  In the Bible—particularly in the Old Testament—the names given to children often foreshadow their characters.  However, sometimes Old Testament characters are given really crappy names.  For example, the name “Caleb” apparently means “dog.” The name “Jabez” seems to be related to the Hebrew word for pain.

Now, I got teased on the playground a lot anyway.  I’m so grateful that my mom and dad didn’t name me “Dog” or “Pain.”

However, Caleb was a bold, risk-taker, and Pain wasn’t.  I mean he wasn’t pain.  Some people live up to or down to their names, while others live way beyond their names.

What we call ourselves and one another matters.  I have a tendency to call myself very unflattering names.  Sometimes, I extend the same courtesy to others.  Such name-calling is not helpful.  In fact, it is harmful.

A good friend of mine doesn’t like it when I call myself an addict.  He would like me to say instead, “I have an addiction.”  He may well have a point.

Perhaps I could experiment with calling myself and others some good names, some hopeful names.  I am not fond of some politicians, but what if I stopped calling them nasty names?  They may or may not change, but I would change, and change for the better.  The names we give other people don’t just affect them.  They also help to form us.

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