Friday, August 04, 2017

What's in a Name?


Take a minute to think of a name.  It could be the name of a place, the name of a person, the name of a pet.  

When you think of that name, what comes to your mind?  If it is a person, place or pet that you love, all kinds of good stuff come with that name.  Memories, pleasant emotions... possibly smells and tastes if that person or place (probably not pet) is associated with something good that you have had to eat.  Or maybe you think something that you can touch -- the feel of their fur when you pet them (this would be a pet thing, not a person thing :-)

I'm asking this because I have been puzzling over something over the past several weeks.  I've been wondering why there are so many songs about the name of Jesus.   Why get excited about a name?  I also started asking myself, "Why is Jesus the Name above all names?"

And then it hit me.  It is because of what the name represents.  Just as the name "Gizmo" represented a furry, faithful, walking companion to my husband for over a decade before he died, the names of people, places and pets are more than just a word.  The name is about the feelings and the memories that come when we recall that name.

What comes to your mind when you say the name Jesus?  I will let you answer that question.

But figuring that out has now helped me to understand and appreciates songs like the one below.

Because of all that Jesus is to me, all those memories, feelings and all that the name represents, I can now sing.... what a beautiful Name it is ... what a powerful Name it is.




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