you are Named

-“You memorized the names of the all the stars—how many are there?”
-“What difference does that make? I know their names. I don’t know how many there are. It’s their names that matter.”

“A Namer has to know who people are, and who they are meant to be.”


One of the truths that has been taught to me through Madeleine L'engle is that we, as image bearers of God, have the capacity to Name people; to convey to them who they are, who they are meant to be; to call out the true creation inside of them. To tell them for the first time or to remind them that they have been named; that they are known (truly- deeply and intimately); that they are worthy of love and that they are loved.

And that is precisely how we name them: we love them.

And we all know that we love in many ways. Sometimes naming them (showing them who they really are) means we sue audible words, sometimes we even have to scream it at them; many times it means forgetting the wrong that they've done and pouring out grace to them, no matter how much it hurts and goes against what we feel is just; sometimes it means searching inside them to find the good, the lovable (and this can be very hard sometimes) and only thinking about when you think about that person and only talking about that when we Name that person to others, a.k.a. talk about that person. Sometimes (most times) it means fighting for their identity in intense warfare called prayer. Most times you can do it in subtle ways-- with the tone of voice you use to talk to that person, by consistently encouraging their uniqueness (even when its not you're favorite) indirectly. There are many more ways that will come to mind if you simply stop and think about it.

Our society is in the middle of a tragic identity crises (you could argue that it always has been) and there are "forces" out there that are telling people that they are nothing; that it doesn't matter what they do or think or feel--just do whatever feels good. We see some of this is disorders like schizophrenia and depression and bi-poler disorder and many others. You also see it in the way people talk about being honest, being fair, loving, etc, yet they dont practice it themselves in the corporate world, the political world, the day to day world in their relationships. We have different realities of work Bob, bar Bob, internet Bob, family Bob.
And the one everyone can relate to--> We have the person that everyone knows and then the real self with all her hidden sins, sad thoughts, confusion, and all the other darkness that we hold inside. So we have to pretend. Pretend that everything is ok. Pretend that you are great; that you're not sad, that you didn't do anything wrong, that everything makes sense to you, that you have everything together, that you're not broken.

Pretending implies two realities.

And we get tired of pretending.

So we choose which one is real to us.

Pretend world vs. Real world.
Knowing who you are with all the crap that comes along with you (because you're broken, lets face it, everyone is. Everyone has something dark and ugly. EVERYONE. promise.) or think that everything is okay; think that working through the hard stuff inside you is pointless and stupid and painful, so lets just seek ease and pleasure; thinking that you are not connected to anyone else; that you are not connected to the whole world, the whole universe; thinking that you're thoughts and actions do not affect anyone else.

Thinking that it just doesn't matter.

(this is where we, as Namers come in. We tell each other and show each other how we really do matter. We remind each other that we were KNOWN before we were conceived. We are KNOWN right now. That we are CONNECTED. That every little thing we do matters. We, as Namers, tell each other what is a lie/what is not real. And we tell each other the real things about our life, about who we are. We tell each other the Truth.)

We can believe "nothing really matters so therefore, I am the only one that matters." Or we can accept what is real. Take the crap , forfeit the pleasure, but know that the crap is REAL and it can be worked through, because IT IS REAL. Nothing in pretend world can be worked through. And we know that. . .

No growth = no beauty.

No brokenness= no beauty.

Expose the dark = the light shines through = we see the beauty.

"Reality in its essence is unified; is one.

God is one.

God's work is to unite things that were created to be ONE, but have fallen apart." (rob bell)

Do you live in two realities? The internal truth and the external person who's trying to be what you think everyone expects of you. We sometimes live in that external "reality" to protect us from what is really true.

"The work of the cross is to unite those realities,

so that you don't have to say 'I'm tired of pretending.'"

Because you don't have to pretend.

You can be united, whole, complete.

And that is His beautiful work. He invites people to become one.

To unite you're two realities.

You are known.
"You are created matter. You are part of the great plan, an indispensable part. You are needed; you have your own unique share in the freedom of creation.”
You are fully and completely known by your creator.

And you're creator wants to make you known to everyone you know. Truly known. With all the crap.

If he knows every name of every single batrillionjillon star in our galaxy, plus many others, don't you think he knows you're name and what that name represents--who you are, truly? When I let that sink in, it is pretty intense.

Let's let him unite our realities.
Let's let him make us one. Inside and out. Brokenness to beauty.
Let's let ourselves be known to the universe (other people).
Let's Name each other for who we really are.