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.

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