What's in a name?

Al Gemrich

A recent Sentinel on the subject of identity (April 9, 2012) reminded me of an incident that occurred in one of my Sunday School classes.

One student, about eight years old, lived on a farm, where his family raised chickens. He and his sister would often bring eggs to sell after church. My student cared for the chickens, fed them, gathered eggs, and would frequently tell about his experiences, especially when he got a new breed or special bird.

We began class by discussing the topic of identity and names. I explained about how in biblical tradition a name described the qualities and nature of a person. The Bible relates many times that a person’s name was changed after the person encountered God and learned better his or her divine identity—think of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Paul.

I then referred to the Native American tradition of discovering or earning a name that is descriptive of one’s character. I mentioned names like “Standing Bear,” “Red Cloud,” and “Crazy Horse.” Somehow it came up that the student had seen the movie Dances with Wolves, which involves Native Americans. Rather than mentioning Kevin Costner, the white cavalryman whom the Indians named “Dances with Wolves,” the student recalled a woman who was named “Stands with Fists.”

At that point I thought I was making progress. So I asked the student, “If you were to be renamed by God, what might your name be?”

After a moment’s thought he proudly said, “Runs with Chickens.” So much for my Sunday School lesson!

Al Gemrich
Delton, Michigan

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