Poem January 11, 1982 Issue

A new name

FEODORE SACHS

Wandering Abram
from Ur of the Chaldees
walked before God.
And God made him a father of many nations,
possessing all the land of Canaan,
after giving him a new name:
Abraham the faithful.

Barren Sarai,
his wife, was also given a new name
and a promise to make her a mother of nations:
fruitful Sarah.

Struggling Jacob
wrestled with error and mortality until the
God-sent messenger blessed him with a new name:
Israel the inspired.

Impetuous Simon Bar-jona,
knowing that Jesus was not John,
Elias, Jeremias, or one of the prophets,
perceived his true nature
and acknowledged his undisputed title,
Christ Jesus the anointed,
and became
Rock-founded Peter.

Persecuting Saul, Damascus-bound,
was first blinded
then enlightened and converted
and won the new name:
Paul the Apostle.

You and I,
when we overcome
our Adam-beliefs and Adam-given names,
will be given new names
by the mouth of God.
We shall not be termed
Forsaken,
but shall be called
Hephzibah,
in a land no longer known as
Desolate,
but
Beulah.

We shall be called
"a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood,
an holy nation,
a peculiar people." ^{I Peter 2:9}

FEODORE SACHS

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