Name Calling
06/24/09 05:24 Filed in: Children
" . . . they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John." (Luke 1: 57-66, 80)
Today, many parents place greater emphasis on the cultural, rather than on the spiritual, meaning of a child’s name. Some even give their children the names of actors, cars, clothing labels, fabrics, foods, liquor and other consumer products. Years from now, those children will still bear a name that has long since lost whatever significance (if any) it might have had.
Of course, parents are free to name their children after their favorite brand of cheese, if that’s what they prefer. But the practice diminishes the value of a name, one of the few gifts we carry with us throughout life. A name is like the title of a book. It sums up who we are. It is the way in which we are greeted and remembered.
Today, many parents place greater emphasis on the cultural, rather than on the spiritual, meaning of a child’s name. Some even give their children the names of actors, cars, clothing labels, fabrics, foods, liquor and other consumer products. Years from now, those children will still bear a name that has long since lost whatever significance (if any) it might have had.
Of course, parents are free to name their children after their favorite brand of cheese, if that’s what they prefer. But the practice diminishes the value of a name, one of the few gifts we carry with us throughout life. A name is like the title of a book. It sums up who we are. It is the way in which we are greeted and remembered.
" . . . they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John." (Luke 1: 57-66, 80)
In the Old Testament, names were carefully chosen for their literal and symbolic meaning. For example, the name Zechariah meant “Yahweh Remembers” and the name Elizabeth meant “The Oath of God.” Both names referred to the covenant that God had formed with this devout, but now elderly couple. When their marriage was finally blessed with a son, God Himself named the boy John, which meant, “God is gracious.” The boy’s name would serve as a permanent reminder of his miraculous birth and as a sign that he was destined for greatness.
Likewise, many Christians name their children after a Biblical figure or a saint who could serve as role models. In fact, a name is a significant factor in one’s personality, influencing how we act and how others react to us.
For decades, the name John was among the most popular names for a boy. Year after year, from the ‘50s through the ‘70s, it was always one of the top 3 names; but in the ˜80s it slipped to number 7; in the ‘90s it fell to as low as 21st place; and now it ranks 19th in popularity. Of the top 20 names, only 11 are Biblical.
Today, many parents place greater emphasis on the cultural rather than on the spiritual meaning of a child’s name. Some even give their children the names of actors, cars, clothing labels, fabrics, foods, liquor and other consumer products. Years from now, those children will still bear a name that has long since lost whatever significance (if any) it might have had.
Of course, parents are free to name their children after their favorite brand of cheese, if that’s what they prefer. But the practice diminishes the value of a name, one of the few gifts we carry with us throughout life. A name is like the title of a book. It sums up who we are. It is the way in which we are greeted and remembered.
Dale Carnegie once said, “a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
But I can’t help wondering if that is true for children with strange-sounding names. Without the names of role models to remind them of their heritage and their family values, are those children being denied part of their birthright?
Of course, our given name is not the only one by which we become known. In the course of our lives, we acquire nicknames, many of which are terms of endearment or respect given to us by loved ones.
Our given name says who we are; the nicknames from loved ones say who we have become. Thus, Saint John became known as John the Baptist in recognition of his unique role in salvation's history.
Sometimes, to protect our good name, we give ourselves cool handles, or nicknames, when logging onto the Internet.
At other times we are given hurtful, derogatory nicknames that put us down. Children are especially adept at this form of name calling. They label one another “shorty,” “fatso,” “tubby,” “twig,” “beanpole,” “dummy,” “chicken” and worse. But their parents can be just as adroit at trading insults. We call one another “geek,” “propeller head,” “air head,” “grease monkey,” “meatball” and more than a few expletives.
If you’ve ever been named in that way you know how hard it is to peel those labels off. You may not be able to change those nicknames, but there is one you can do something about. What nickname would you like Jesus to give to you?
In the Old Testament, names were carefully chosen for their literal and symbolic meaning. For example, the name Zechariah meant “Yahweh Remembers” and the name Elizabeth meant “The Oath of God.” Both names referred to the covenant that God had formed with this devout, but now elderly couple. When their marriage was finally blessed with a son, God Himself named the boy John, which meant, “God is gracious.” The boy’s name would serve as a permanent reminder of his miraculous birth and as a sign that he was destined for greatness.
Likewise, many Christians name their children after a Biblical figure or a saint who could serve as role models. In fact, a name is a significant factor in one’s personality, influencing how we act and how others react to us.
For decades, the name John was among the most popular names for a boy. Year after year, from the ‘50s through the ‘70s, it was always one of the top 3 names; but in the ˜80s it slipped to number 7; in the ‘90s it fell to as low as 21st place; and now it ranks 19th in popularity. Of the top 20 names, only 11 are Biblical.
Today, many parents place greater emphasis on the cultural rather than on the spiritual meaning of a child’s name. Some even give their children the names of actors, cars, clothing labels, fabrics, foods, liquor and other consumer products. Years from now, those children will still bear a name that has long since lost whatever significance (if any) it might have had.
Of course, parents are free to name their children after their favorite brand of cheese, if that’s what they prefer. But the practice diminishes the value of a name, one of the few gifts we carry with us throughout life. A name is like the title of a book. It sums up who we are. It is the way in which we are greeted and remembered.
Dale Carnegie once said, “a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
But I can’t help wondering if that is true for children with strange-sounding names. Without the names of role models to remind them of their heritage and their family values, are those children being denied part of their birthright?
Of course, our given name is not the only one by which we become known. In the course of our lives, we acquire nicknames, many of which are terms of endearment or respect given to us by loved ones.
Our given name says who we are; the nicknames from loved ones say who we have become. Thus, Saint John became known as John the Baptist in recognition of his unique role in salvation's history.
Sometimes, to protect our good name, we give ourselves cool handles, or nicknames, when logging onto the Internet.
At other times we are given hurtful, derogatory nicknames that put us down. Children are especially adept at this form of name calling. They label one another “shorty,” “fatso,” “tubby,” “twig,” “beanpole,” “dummy,” “chicken” and worse. But their parents can be just as adroit at trading insults. We call one another “geek,” “propeller head,” “air head,” “grease monkey,” “meatball” and more than a few expletives.
If you’ve ever been named in that way you know how hard it is to peel those labels off. You may not be able to change those nicknames, but there is one you can do something about. What nickname would you like Jesus to give to you?
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