Names

Shadow the Fruitbat

I've been thinking about names this week; partly as Shadow's ears (and toothiness) have earned him the moniker "fruitbat," partly as ourt confirmation classes have discussed some of the ways we name God, some as I've learned names, forgotten names, and used names. 
Names matter; and how we use them matters.

We all know what it feels like to hear a loved one say our name; this is not simply a word, it is a relationship. Our names show the world who we are, be they our formal names or shortened versions or nicknames. Be it the declaration of a name in baptism or a friendly nickname earned through shared history, we know that names have power. Names highlight connection.

We show respect and dignity by getting names and pronouns correct and accurate, by communicating in with appropriate manners. We may need a few tries to learn or re-learn proper pronunciation or preference, but it is time well spent; and we appreciate the patience others extend when we fumble.

When we apply this to our faith, we recognise that names also speak of relationship with God. Our scriptures are full of people and places where the name tells us about character or activity (i.e. Esau’s hirsutism providing his name, or the Hebrew Ednah for pleasure having the same root as Eden).

Our connection with God is rich in relationship; we share a history, we enjoy a current connection, we anticipate our interconnected future. And we recognise that this relationship is different than any other we have; for it is with the divine.

And so we name God differently. Whatever word we use, our spirits connect in a different manner than how we relate even to our most beloved here on earth.

Leonard Cohen writes (in Book of Mercy, #15): “This is the way we summon each other, but it is not the way we call upon the Name. … How beautiful our heritage, to have this way of speaking to eternity, how bountiful this solitude, surrounded, filled, and mastered by the Name, from which all things arise in splendour, depending one upon the other.”

Perhaps a sign of our spiritual maturity will be when we use names with one another in this earthly realm, with the same gentleness, beauty, and reverence that we save for The Name; for within each person before us is a spark of the divine, waiting keenly, patiently, to be called instead of summoned.

The right encounter at the right time...

About a week ago, Comet and I welcomed a new friend into the house. Comet had been getting a bit lonely, and after a few inquiries and meet-and-greets and applications, Shadow came to us.
He’s a rescue who was in a foster home, for longer than they had expected, with no discernable reason for the extended foster. But they loved him, and when Comet and I met him, it was a natural fit.

While the transition has been really smooth, it’s still a transition; there’s new patterns to develop, new areas for him to explore, new understandings of rules and boundaries, etc.
The right dog finds you at the right time.

I also believe that we encounter the right people at the right time.

I believe that God puts people in our path, and there’s the opportunity to learn and grow from these encounters.

Some folks may become long term friends and chosen family. Others may be short term associations. Some are situationally dependent. Others may be brief interactions that feel like chance.

Whatever they are, they are an opportunity for us to do the best we can. We can’t always know the impact we have on other people, but we can try our best.

We can avoid doing things that we know will be damaging; we can lean towards ways that build one another up. We can establish healthy parameters to minimise confusion or disrespect. We can collaborate towards justice and peace. We can advocate for those who are silenced or oppressed.

There’s lots we can do; but I think the main idea for me is to see each encounter as a learning opportunity: a chance to understand each encounter as being someone God has put in my path, and to do my best to do my best.