Names are fun. We all like to play with names. We get excited about naming our babies. We give each other nicknames. We call each other names –sometimes for fun, sometimes not in the best spirit! We give our children ancestral names, biblical names, and sometimes, off-the-wall names! We name our animals according to what they look like, or what they mean to us.

Names are identity markers. They reveal something about how we see the world around us and the people in it. They reveal something about our deepest feelings concerning our relationships and place within community. They reveal something about our understanding of ourselves and who we are in relationships to others. They can invoke feelings, images, memories, and stories. They can reveal the true state of our spirit.

When we name o…