By Katy Mariotti

What’s in a Name?

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 1:12-13 English Standard Version

Names are potent things, and others much more eloquent than I have expounded on them.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Juliet mused on Romeo’s name in Romeo and Juliet, and yet his name represented his family, and his family had history and enmity with hers. What we choose to call ourselves and what others choose to call us really makes a difference in our lives. If you’ve ever been called something unpleasant, I’m sure that is something you haven’t forgotten. And sometimes it doesn’t have to be a negative name, it just has to be the wrong one.  As a person who is frequently called Kathy, I get frustrated when someone gets it wrong; Kathy is a fine name, it’s just not mine!

Names can stick. I have friends from high school who still call themselves the nicknames they were given as teenagers. Names can also be a positive force. When I was teaching middle school, I always tried to learn everyone’s names as quickly as possible. It helped to develop relationships with the kids, and it helped greatly with classroom management.

My favorite name development was when I got married. I LOVE my last name, not just because I like the sound and look of it (which I do), but because it represents the love and commitment my husband and I have for each other. I remember when we first got married, how giddy I would feel seeing my new name written somewhere. And you know what? Even though we’ve been married for over 13 years, I recently saw my name on a screen at a coffee shop and I got giddy all over again.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we felt that same giddiness when seeing the names that God calls us?  He calls us so many things: forgiven, accepted, chosen, saved, blessed. I hope in all the names you have, you remember the most important ones. You are a child of God!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado