In many cultures the act of naming children is filled with intense meaning. If you ask someone their name you are also asking about the “whom” in addition to the deeper meaning of their name. You know, just by the name, something that is unique and insightful about the individual; almost as if their given name has in some mysterious way defined their lives and purpose.
I wonder what my name would have been if the cultures in which I was born and live took the time to associate it with a particular description. Would I be a person of action, thought, or merely a description? Would the name be tied to an event that happened up to or at my birth? Would it reflect the hopes of my mother or father? What if Divinity itself had the opportunity to set my name? What would I be called then?
Actually I have a good inkling of the latter. You and I would be called sons and daughters of God. We would be called the redeemed. We would be called special, priceless, and the chosen ones. We not realize it but we have a destiny that set at our birth. It is possible for us to change the path we were given and often we do. In the course of change we often leave behind our child-like approach, mission of compassion, and opportunities for recreation. It is as if we don’t know that the wall of our life “was set on twelve foundations, the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb inscribed on them.” (Revelation 21.14)
God chose us, not the reverse. God has prepared everything so that we can be united with Divinity for eternity. This isn’t a matter of us working our way up; we are already on the path unless we chose to depart. We are given gifts – twelve that guard our lives. They include compassion, courage, hope, mercy, community, Sabbath, unconditional acceptance, fidelity, integrity, hospitality, family, and above all love. We even have a Spirit guide. And this is just the beginning.
