“God brought the wild animal and the birds of the sky to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.”
― Genesis 2: 19-20
“She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you (Joseph) are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
― Matthew 1:21 (Jesus is a form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.)
Mohembo worked with Zambian princess (for real) in leadership training. She had an exercise that she used in the course that was called “Notice and Name.” Participants were sent out in pairs into the gardens surrounding the training centre and told to look around carefully, to notice something they hadn’t seen before though all of them had been to this place often. They were also to name what they noticed and be prepared to describe it on return to the group. Naming something gives it a special significance and helps fix it in our minds and memories. Names give identity. God named Adam and Eve. Then naming the animals and birds was one of the first tasks God gave Adam. The exercise made him aware of each of them.
Family names have become formalized. They weren’t always so. Some reflect place of origin – von Stockenström, Windsor, Ford – or the occupational guild a forefather had and which he passed down to his sons – Cooper, Blacksmith, Miner - or even the parent’s name – Andersson, (Guðrún Eva) Mínervudóttir (an Icelandic author). These names place a person in a social context.The long lists of parentage in the Bible (Genesis 5 and 10, Matthew 1) are good examples. Mohembo thinks often about when he has been introduced to people in Africa. After hearing his name, the next question posed was often “and who is your father?” In some matrilineal cultures the question would be “and who is your mother.” The underlying assumption of course is that at least some of your character and personality will be derived from your genes and your upbringing – both stemming from your parents.
Most of us were given a name (or two or more) at birth. How those names were chosen varies a lot according to culture. In many places the name commemorates a person in a former generation of the family, or a famous person. In some cultures names of “saints” and prophets are given. Mohembo tells me that in former days in parts of Africa unpleasant names were given to children so that evil spirits would avoid inhabiting them. He came across people in West Africa who were named after the day of the week they were born, or even according to the number they held in the order of children (or sons). So he knew several Sundays and No. 2 Sons. Elsewhere the names reflect the parents’ thoughts on having a child at all – names like Gift, or Joy, or Samuel (heard by God – 1 Samuel 1:20) or events surrounding the birth. In some cultures a person’s name links him to a special animal, which becomes that person’s totem. A mystical link may be created between the person and the animal or bird as a result, with a variety of implications.
In some societies permanent names are not given to a child until some personality trait is revealed. It may be several months before this happens. The idea is that the name should reflect the child’s personality and character. Elsewhere, parents may give a particular name to their child in the specific hope that it will inspire the child to develop a specific personality trait. So we have some strong names, especially for boys, names that in themselves sound strong, or that evoke heroes of the past – George, Eric, David. And “nice” names for girls that similarly recall feminine heroines – Ruth, Mary, Theresa.
Adam probably named animals and birds according to some characteristic feature or trait that he saw in them. Their names reflected their image.
Joseph and Mary gave the new-born baby the name Jesus because of what he would be and do. He reflected - was true to - his name through his life and death.
What does your name mean to you? Do you know its meaning or do you even care? Does it affect your self-image? Do you like the one you were given, or does it project an image of you that you would rather not have? Does it, on the contrary, inspire you by its reference to some person you respect and admire? Or is it just a label that you wear for convenience? Does knowing the meaning of someone else’s name affect your view of them? If a man is named Christian, or a woman Christina, do you automatically assume they are followers of Christ? If a man is named Mohammed or Ahmed, or a woman named Zeinab, do you automatically assume they are practising Muslims? If so, other names may also trigger assumptions in your mind about people that you are hardly aware of. There may be more to someone's name than you first realize.
More next time on names.
― Genesis 2: 19-20
“She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you (Joseph) are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
― Matthew 1:21 (Jesus is a form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.)
Mohembo worked with Zambian princess (for real) in leadership training. She had an exercise that she used in the course that was called “Notice and Name.” Participants were sent out in pairs into the gardens surrounding the training centre and told to look around carefully, to notice something they hadn’t seen before though all of them had been to this place often. They were also to name what they noticed and be prepared to describe it on return to the group. Naming something gives it a special significance and helps fix it in our minds and memories. Names give identity. God named Adam and Eve. Then naming the animals and birds was one of the first tasks God gave Adam. The exercise made him aware of each of them.
Family names have become formalized. They weren’t always so. Some reflect place of origin – von Stockenström, Windsor, Ford – or the occupational guild a forefather had and which he passed down to his sons – Cooper, Blacksmith, Miner - or even the parent’s name – Andersson, (Guðrún Eva) Mínervudóttir (an Icelandic author). These names place a person in a social context.The long lists of parentage in the Bible (Genesis 5 and 10, Matthew 1) are good examples. Mohembo thinks often about when he has been introduced to people in Africa. After hearing his name, the next question posed was often “and who is your father?” In some matrilineal cultures the question would be “and who is your mother.” The underlying assumption of course is that at least some of your character and personality will be derived from your genes and your upbringing – both stemming from your parents.
Most of us were given a name (or two or more) at birth. How those names were chosen varies a lot according to culture. In many places the name commemorates a person in a former generation of the family, or a famous person. In some cultures names of “saints” and prophets are given. Mohembo tells me that in former days in parts of Africa unpleasant names were given to children so that evil spirits would avoid inhabiting them. He came across people in West Africa who were named after the day of the week they were born, or even according to the number they held in the order of children (or sons). So he knew several Sundays and No. 2 Sons. Elsewhere the names reflect the parents’ thoughts on having a child at all – names like Gift, or Joy, or Samuel (heard by God – 1 Samuel 1:20) or events surrounding the birth. In some cultures a person’s name links him to a special animal, which becomes that person’s totem. A mystical link may be created between the person and the animal or bird as a result, with a variety of implications.
In some societies permanent names are not given to a child until some personality trait is revealed. It may be several months before this happens. The idea is that the name should reflect the child’s personality and character. Elsewhere, parents may give a particular name to their child in the specific hope that it will inspire the child to develop a specific personality trait. So we have some strong names, especially for boys, names that in themselves sound strong, or that evoke heroes of the past – George, Eric, David. And “nice” names for girls that similarly recall feminine heroines – Ruth, Mary, Theresa.
Adam probably named animals and birds according to some characteristic feature or trait that he saw in them. Their names reflected their image.
Joseph and Mary gave the new-born baby the name Jesus because of what he would be and do. He reflected - was true to - his name through his life and death.
What does your name mean to you? Do you know its meaning or do you even care? Does it affect your self-image? Do you like the one you were given, or does it project an image of you that you would rather not have? Does it, on the contrary, inspire you by its reference to some person you respect and admire? Or is it just a label that you wear for convenience? Does knowing the meaning of someone else’s name affect your view of them? If a man is named Christian, or a woman Christina, do you automatically assume they are followers of Christ? If a man is named Mohammed or Ahmed, or a woman named Zeinab, do you automatically assume they are practising Muslims? If so, other names may also trigger assumptions in your mind about people that you are hardly aware of. There may be more to someone's name than you first realize.
More next time on names.
