Say His or Her Name: A Spiritual Practice Worth Taking to Heart

Thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." --Isaiah 43:1.

"To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." --John 10:3

One of the profound truths I have learned from the Black Lives Matter Movement is how important it is to say someone's name. When a Black person is shot and killed by police, we are urged to "say his or her name" loudly and publicly. The act of "saying his/her name" affirms that this person has worth and is precious in God's sight.

Jews also value names and refer to the "God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." According to Jewish tradition, the names of righteous people are inscribed in the Book of Life and are remembered during Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

I never fully appreciated the saying of Jesus that the shepherd calls his sheep by name until I visited Maia, a Quaker woman who has a farm in Washington where she raises ducks, goats and sheep. She took us to the sheep pen,  opened the gate to let us in, and then  introduced us to her sheep. She had given each of them a name, and each responded when she called them. Names matter, even to sheep!

One of the practices about the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) that I love is how it helps people to remember each other's names. Each person is asked to come up with a positive descriptive adjective that alliterates with his or her name. For example, because my name begins with an A, I often describe myself as "artistic Anthony." This simple exercise not only helps us remember names, it also helps us connect with each person's characteristic trait. This name game helps to create a safe and friendly community.

What I love about the God of the Bible is that God calls each of us by name because we matter to God. The series "The Chosen" about Jesus and his disciples opens with the story of Mary Magdalene. She is portrayed as a demon-possessed prostitute suffering from PTSD who is given the nickname "Lilith" by those in the tavern she frequents. This nickname is degrading because Lilith is a Mesopotamian she-demon who, according to Jewish folklore, was Adam's first wife (the one who tempted him to sin). When Jesus encounters "Lilith," he calls her by her real name,  Mary. Jesus quotes  from Isaiah:

The Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

When Mary hears her name and these redemptive words, she is deeply moved. Jesus then holds out his arms, and she welcomes his embrace and is healed. Such is the power of calling someone by their true name. Watching this scene brought me to tears and reminded me how healing it can be to affirm people by name. 

I hope that  we can come to realize that acknowledging someone by name is a holy act when motivated by love. Affirming each other's names, and honoring the Spirit that leads us to serve, can help to build a loving and beloved community. 

Loving God, you call us by name because each of us is infinitely precious in Your sight. Let us remember to honor others by name and to lift them up to You so we can be a loving and beloved community where everyone is honored, respected and loved.