大象传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Canon Rachel Mann

The Feast of the Naming

Good morning and a Happy New Year! Today is also the Feast of the Naming and Circumcision of Christ. For Jesus, the rituals he underwent as a baby were part of a process of welcoming him as a newborn boy into the people of God; from that day forward, he would be publicly called by name.

For all of us, to be identified by name is a powerful signal of our personhood. When someone is given or takes a new name it is a signal of a new beginning; it is a sign that they have entered into fresh and rich networks of relationships and human connection. Conversely, when someone is deprived of a name, as were those in the death camps of the Nazi regime, it is a step towards dehumanisation. To be known only by a number represents an attempt to turn human beings into objects.

Names matter then. As a transgender person, I know this truth only too well. When I transitioned from male to female over thirty years ago and took a new Christian name, I felt as if I was being addressed as me for the first time when people started using it.

One doesn鈥檛 need to be trans to appreciate the power of being known by name. The prophet Isaiah says that God himself calls us by name; in doing so, Isaiah reminds us that we are profoundly valued by God and can find a home in him. Our human need to be seen and loved is a deep part of our humanity, as well as God鈥檚 economy.

God of love, you address me by name and my hearts soar when I am cherished. Help me to be seen and valued this day for the person I really am.

Amen.