Called by Name

By Rev. David Petersen

Children everywhere are fond of reciting: "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me." The rhyme claims that only physical damage is hurtful, that words do not have the power of sticks and stones to damage their victims. The rhyme is wrong. Words are more powerful.Teasing sarcasm and name-calling are more damaging, more hurtful than sticks and stones. Denying or belittling the reality of pain does little to remove it. It is like saying: "Bombs and guns may scratch my buns, but flames will never burn me."

We all want words to go away sometimes, and it’s easier to act as if they don’t matter. But words have power; names have meaning. But even as they can hurt, words and names can also give strength and even heal.

Your parents gave you a name on purpose. Maybe you are named after someone they admire and respect. They named you as such in the hope of inspiring you to similar greatnessof character and achievement. Perhaps you are "Thomas" for St.Thomas, who confessed "My Lord and My God" or "Paula" for St. Paul who was blinded by the light of the Gospel and received new sight by Grace. Those are good names for that, but not the only ones. Family names and historical names serve a similar function. You might be "Alexander" for Alexander the Great, "Douglas" for General Douglas MacArthur, or "Emily"for your grandmother. Or maybe your parents wanted your name to confess something. You are "Jonathan" which is "Gift of God" in Hebrew, "Anastasia" which is "Resurrection" in Greek, or "Ian" which is a derivative of the Hebrew for "God is Gracious" (like "John" in English and "Johann" in German.) Ian, though, demonstrates a more complex richness. It also shows an Irish heritage. Most names are like that.

God gave your parents the privilege of naming you with the name that He knew before He formed you in the womb. Whatever they chose is who you are. Even if they aren’t everything you want them to be, when they named you they had aspirations and hope for you. Ask them.You might be surprised to hear how carefully your name was chosen and what it means to them. It is almost always more complicated than they liked the sound of it. That is part of the reason false names hurt so badly. But you can take back your name. You can rest secure in who you really are according to those who love you.

You can find yourself and your identity in your name. It will not stop all the pain. But it will help, because it is the truth. It is who you are. You are Mark, Bethany, Rachael, Sarah, or Winston. You are precious and special to people who count.You have a name. And it is a good name, a defining name.

You have a compassionate Father also in heaven. He, too, has given you a Name, a Name above all other names. His is a Name better than Washington, Caesar, or Napoleon, and better also than David, Abraham, or Peter, and He has placed It upon you. It is the Name of love, acceptance, and forgiveness. It is salvation. By It, in the waters of Holy Baptism, He has claimed you as His own. You are "Christian," marked with and redeemed by the Blood of Christ, an heir of the royal family, a chosen, adopted child of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Here is your identity in the midst of chaos, your security in the face of hostility, your hope on the brink of death. And no matter what those bullies say it is just so much air. They can’t take away your real name, the one recorded in the Book of Life for all eternity. That is the name by which the Shepherd will call you forth from the grave.

The Rev. David Petersen is pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.