What's In A Name?

Sunday 4/22/12

                                                                                  What’s In A Name?

     “What’s in a name?” In perhaps his most famous work, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare raises the question of the importance of a name. The next line of the play gives a profound response to the question: “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." It might seem that if Juliet’s words reflected the author’s thoughts, Shakespeare would argue that a name has little – if any – importance at all. Or does it?

     …I was thinking and praying about him Saturday night. Would he be there? Would he be as sad and quiet as before or would he be as happy and outgoing as any of the other kids this time? Was the problem he was having last week something that would arise again this week, or was I blowing everything way out of proportion? (I was probably doing the latter.) But with all these questions, one question still intrigued me: What was the boy’s name?

    My ankle which I had hurt last week was feeling much better; and, unlike last time, once we got to the court where we held our Campos Blancos Sunday school, I jumped right in there and was playing soccer with the kids. Even as I was playing, I would still keep an eye out, glancing every now and then to the entrance of the court as a kid or two would walk in – seeing if one of them was the boy who wouldn’t tell me his name last week. I guess I must have been more engrossed in the game than I thought because after everyone was tired from playing and the game started winding down, I noticed that even though I somehow didn’t see him walk in, the boy had come after all.

     Of course, I went over and said hi to him and immediately asked him if he was going to tell me his name this week? But he still didn’t tell me his name. It was time for singing and the kids stood up and made a circle – except for a couple girls and, of course, the boy without a name. The teacher and some other kids tried getting him to join, but he didn’t want to. We sang a few songs before I went over to him and asked him if he wanted to sing. I told him that I needed help because I didn’t know the words (which I didn’t since they were in Spanish). He still refused to join. I noticed that he didn’t seem as sad as last week, but still pretty quiet and closed off. I wondered if it was just his personality and if he would be closed off this week too.

     The previous week, the teacher had asked me to lead a game next time. I had prepared a game and after the kids sang, I explained the game to them. When we started the game, the boy joined and played along. He even seemed to be enjoying it.

     After the game, we had the Bible lesson, and after the lesson, I attempted to ask the boy his name once again. Even though he wouldn’t tell me his name any of the other times, I knew this time would be different. I knew I was going to get his name. If he wouldn’t tell me, I would guess it until I got it right. Even though it might sound like guessing his name would be a challenge for me, the truth is, it would have only taken me one guess because by now, I had heard the other teachers and some of the kids use his name. However, even though I was ready to guess his name, I didn’t have to – this time he actually told me! I had finally learned this boy’s name! I asked him if he was sad last week and he nodded. Then, I asked him why, but he wouldn’t respond right away. Seeing that he was hesitating, I asked him if maybe he didn’t remember and he nodded. Later on, I asked him if he was feeling better today and he was. After the lesson, the boy even participated in the coloring and word search paper like the other kids.

     So although he was still very quiet (which is probably just his personality), the boy without a name that was so sad last week, now talked, participated, and interacted more with others. But as thrilling as those changes were, there was one change this week that was particularly special. And that is, this week, the boy had opened up enough to share something with me that he had refused to share with me the previous  week – his name.

     At first glance, it might seem as though Shakespeare believed that a name is pointless, but then again maybe that wasn’t the point he was trying to make at all; for the fact remains that even if you call a rose by any other name, it at least still has one – you just have to figure out what that name is. Perhaps Shakespeare’s words could better be understood in light of 1 Samuel 16:7 when God tells Samuel that the things man holds important such as outward appearances and perhaps even names is not the same as what God deems important. While man may stop at the appearance or at a name, God looks beyond – He looks at the heart. So whatever your answer might be to Shakespeare’s question of “What’s in a name?” or whatever your view is on the importance of a name, that’s up to you. But whatever the case, it’s indisputable that Shakespeare definitely raised an interesting question. But for me, I personally think that the point Shakespeare was trying to make was that a name in and of itself has little importance, especially when you don't take the heart and soul of the poerson or thing behind it into account. And as I look back at this story, I have to say that it isn’t, nor was it ever, about getting the boy’s name. The name itself wasn’t important; it was always about the boy behind the name. So while many may ponder with Shakespeare over what’s in a name, I know for me, that the name Anderson will always have importance – not because of the name itself, but because of the boy behind it for whom I will continue to pray as I did before – the only difference being that now I can pray for him by name.

(Thanks to all of you who have prayed for this boy and please continue to pray for him. Also, thanks to those of you who have been praying for my ankle. It feels fine now and I can run and play soccer again – YAY!)