FOOD FOR THOUGHT
(05/23/2010)
WHAT'S
IN A NAME?
Cindy Hong
If
I were born a boy, this would be Jonathan writing now. But it's me instead.
Mom liked Cynthia, Dad liked Cindy, I had no choice. It turns out Cynthia
has something to do with the moon, so the grandparents played off that
theme and gave the Chinese name accordingly. As a result of their naming,
questions were asked throughout the years, anything from “Who gave you
that name?” to “Did you know your name is very interesting?” One
day tired of the questions, I decided to ask “why” and “how so?”
That answer consisted of we must be of poor stock because rich and educated
Chinese use beautiful abstract themes, like intelligence and beauty, not
names based on folklore from Chinese mythology. Then somewhere along the
line I found out our last name means soup. Huh? Who has a last name called
soup? Campbell , sure. But soup? Yet soup we are. It gets worse for my
aunt (dad's sister). Born a Soup, she marries a Tsai, and becomes what
sounds like “vegetable soup” in Mandarin. Perhaps it's a good thing
our names are secondary when who we are becomes more about God and less
about us, so much so that we take on His name. We who are created, formed,
and made by Him are now called by His name. As His children, He guides
us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. And the Son, who came
so that when we believe in Him, gives us life in His name and life to
the full. He redirects our purpose so that everything we do is now done
in His name, the Lord Jesus working in and through us to accomplish His
work. The gift of prayer, which is really the gift of relationship with
God, is done in Jesus' name. And we who live to give God glory, bow our
knees at the name of Jesus, our tongues confessing that He is Lord. Born
with one name and now given another, we get to spend the rest of our earthly
lives learning to live into this new identity, living out a new purpose,
experiencing firsthand a new life in Christ. Where would we be, who would
we be, without Him?
|
