Mark -- warlike

Shirley -- bright meadow

Jennifer -- fair lady

Jeffrey -- God's peace

Jesus -- God saves

What's in a name? Ever since God gave Adam the privilege of naming all the creatures, humankind has had a fascination with names. Names are important. Parents take great care when they select a name for their baby. They know the name will be with this new person for a lifetime and will identify him or her to other people.

We look at the panorama of history and give different names to the ages: Ice Age, Stone Age, Bronze Age, Dark Ages, Middle Ages, Modern Age, Post-Modern Age. The names help us distinguish periods of time and cultural growth or decline. The names, carefully chosen, give us a sense of where we fit in, regarding the development of civilization.

We characterize even…