What's In a Name?

                Now that I have been in Africa for a few days now, I have adopted a name from the village kids who see me.  Yesterday morning I was going to the primary school house to teach a class to the kids, and on the way there we a little boy I am guessing around four or so coming down the path with his friend when he looked up and saw me. He run up to me and said, “White Man!”  For those of you who know me, my tan could use some improving.   I said, “Yes, how are you today.”  He told me he was taking what I gathered to be a lunch break.  I told him that I was going to the school and so he showed me the way.  There was another young lady, this time about three.  I was in my shorts at this point, and I come around the corner and she said, “Eye, (this is Cameroonian for a surprised reaction.  You said it in a high pitched voice), it’s a white man.  I waved to her and asked her how she was.  And she looked and said, “You have white legs.”  I didn’t know whether to thank her or agree or what, so I told her to have a good day.  Within a couple of minutes there were three more girls from the village area that were playing, and when they saw me, they stopped playing and yelled out to me “White Man.”  You can imagine how this sounded with three young girls one right after the other yelling out, “White Man, White Man, White Man.”  Then they proceeded to laugh after I told them hi.  I went along my way down the road hearing giggles and laughter from behind me, with the words “white man” thrown in the mix here and there.  

What’s in a name?  They called me “White Man” because it describes who I am.  I stand out just a wee little bit from the Africans.  This would describe me well I guess considering where I am.  This is what they see me as.  My question to you is how do people see us spiritually?  Would they be able to identify us as someone who is a Christian, someone who stands out from the world?  Does our name reflect what we look like spiritually?  Christian means a follower of Christ.  Are we living up to our names?  The name that our church wears, does it resemble what the church should look like.  Do it show ownership to Christ.  A name is important, because it distinguishes you from others.  It tells who you are and what you are about.  What’s in a name?  Everything.  Let us bring glory to God today in the name we wear.  May God bless your day!