What's in a name?

What's in a name? The question that the great Romeo Montague asks in Shakespeare's tragic tale.

A lot is in a name.

Names have power. Names give meaning. Names turn the generalized into specifics.

There's a reason why we give names to babies. There's a reason why in some Christian traditions when a child is baptized they are also christened and given a "Christian Name." Names give us an intimacy that generalizations cannot.

It is easy to hate a group or a stereotype. It is easy to look at a large general group and come up with opinions against them. With groups it is very easy to create an us verses them barrier. It is easy to build walls.

But names change that. In the words of my beloved partner, Brianna Cooper-Risser,"When we place names on the generalization it may not change our opinion, but it at least makes us feel uncomfortable." it shows us that "life is complicated". How many times have you heard a story where someone shares their disdain for a group of people and then they meet someone who happens to fall into that category and it completely changes their mind on the matter? You know what I am talking about. I don't even need to give a specific example for memories to come flooding to your mind.

When we give something a name it changes things. The same goes to barriers in our life. When we name what is holding us back we can come up with a solution much easier. Giving a name to our problems is the first step in overcoming them.

So, do names matter? Absolutely. Names are what differentiates me from just another heterosexual white male. Names are what remind us that each person has a unique story that has brought them to where they are today. And sometimes, some people, need a new name to remind them that their story does not always need to stay the same. Our names are part of what makes us human.

So the next time you make a general statement about a group of people first ask yourself: Do I know anyone in that group? How well do I know them? What is their name? And what is their story?

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Resources:

1. http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/2017/8/15/names 

2. https://robbell.podbean.com/e/we-are-the-committee/