Finding our Middle – 40 Days with Anna – Day 11 – Monday after 2nd Sunday of Lent 

To Read:

Since our first meeting God had been given the title Mister God;  the Holy Spirit, for some reason only known to her, was given the name Vehrak.  I never heard her use the name Jesus.  Whenever she referred to Jesus it was as Mister God’s boy.  One evening we were working our way through the J’s [Cruden’s Complete Concordance] and came eventually to Jesus.  I had hardly got the name out before I was stopped by a ‘No!’, a wagging finger and ‘Next one, please.’  Who was I to argue?  I pressed on.  The next name on the list was JETHER.  I had to pronounce this three times, and then turning to me she said, ‘Read what it says.’  So I read:

‘JETHER meaning he that excels or remains, or that examines, searches, or a line or string.’

The effect of this was electric, catastrophic.  With a blur of movement she had slipped off my lap, twisted about to face me and stood crouched with hands clenched, the whole of her being shaking with excitement.  For one horrifying moment I thought she was ill or having a fit, but that wasn’t the explanation.

Whatever the explanation was it went deeper than anything I could understand.  She was filled with joy.  She kept saying, ‘It’s true.  I know it.  It’s true.  It’s true.  I know it.’  With that she fled out into the yard. I made to go out after her but Mum put out a hand and held me back, saying, ‘Leave her alone, she’s happy.  She’s got the eye.’  

Half an hour passed before she returned.

Without a word she climbed on to my lap, gave me one of her special grins and said, ‘Please write the name big for me tonight’, and then went to sleep.  She didn’t even wake up when I put her to bed.

From the Scriptures:

But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ ¹⁴ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.”’ ¹⁵ God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”:

This is my name forever,
and this my title for all generations.’     (Exodus 3v13-15)

To Reflect:

Just as our own names are personal, most people call me ‘Andrew’ there are only two people who can freely call me ‘Andy’, so it is with our names for God.  

We don’t know why Anna did not use the name Jesus for ‘Mister God’s boy’.  It may be that the word Jesus didn’t fit in her mouth or heart and ‘Jether’ did a much better job.  It may have been something from her unknown past that made using the word Jesus difficult, just as some people find it difficult to see God as a Father figure.  Whatever the reason she had a deep relationship with ‘Mister God’s boy’ and how she chose to name Him strengthened that relationship.

This leads me to think of two challenges for our journey homeward with other faithful folk. 

Firstly, we do get hung up on names for God don’t we?  How many faithful people have faithful people killed because of a difference over the names they use for God?  Some of it is just plain silly which makes it even the more tragic.  I was baptized on, and have a deep affinity for, the island Malta.  Maltese is a language with Arabic roots so it should not be surprising that when Maltese Christians go to Church they praise ‘Alla’.^[i]  And when they do so the roofs of churches stay firmly in place.  (They only collapse when other ‘Christians’ arrive to bomb the island!^[ii])

Secondly, our names for God change as our relationship with God changes.  This is not to say that God changes but rather as we spend more time in God’s presence,  come to know more of God’s character, we find that the names we have been using just don’t fit anymore and, to mis-use a verse of Scripture, we ‘put away childish things’ and use different, better words.  This does not mean we have turned our back on the faith of our youth or have become a heretic, but that we have gone a little deeper into the embrace of the One Who Loves us Best.  And when we see that happen to a fellow pilgrim we should rejoice and not criticise or condemn.

This happened once amongst a group I was part of meeting in a convent in Southern Johannesburg.  Trying to learn how to accompany others in the faith better we looked at our own journey (see today’s ‘To Dos’) and at the end of our reflections we were asked to share how we saw God now.  Sr Jane OHP, a shy young nun, lifted her shining eyes towards the group and breathed out ‘He is my Lover.’  As she said those words all of us knew that we were on holy ground and that each of the names we cherishes to use for God were, and are, cherished by God.

To Pray: 

To Do: 

1)  If you could choose any name what name would you choose for God?

2)  Write a timeline of your faith.  In 5 yearly intervals write down the names you have used for God in your past and reflect on what caused a change of name if there was one.  If you have always called God by the same name ask yourself if there are other names for God you could use which might draw you closer to the One Who Loves us Best.

Please Note:  These reflections are also published on my blog: suffolkvicarhomes.com on Bluesky as @suffolkvicar.bsky.social, and on my public Facebook page  Suffolk Vicar – Rev Andrew Dotchin.  If you would like them as a daily email please send a request to revdotchin@gmail.com

If you have enjoyed reading them please make a donation to The Clergy Support Trust who provided a  generous grant to help me find the space to compose them.

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^[i] For some common Maltese expressions using the word ‘Alla’ click here.

^[ii] The Miracle Bomb of Mosta