What’s in a Name?

 What have you been called? As a 4th grade teacher, my list is extensive and a few entries would frankly not be appropriate for this devotional. However, the majority of the list (Sadie, Ms. Skibo, daughter, sister, friend, leader) are all titles I cherish. Technically, my list would also include “Sarah”, my given name, but if you ever wish to get my attention in a crowd, that name likely won’t do the job. You see, according to Skibo family lore, I’ve always been a “Sadie” and I think it fits me best.

The Bible tells us that God and his son Jesus both appreciate the power of naming and renaming after a life-changing event or realization. I sometimes wonder if this was difficult for the “renamed” person and those around them to get used to. I would imagine that this transition, not just in name but often times in profession and disposition, was rocky at times. And as many of the stories of the Bible tell us, a renaming did not often equate to an easier or more socially-acceptable life. But the fact that we know about these “renamed” figures proves that these individuals journeyed through their lives, chasing after who God had called them to be.

During my continued process of recognizing and accepting myself as a queer Christian, there are moments of fear and a desire to run back into the closet. Sadly, these feelings are at their peak around those who call themselves followers of Christ. But these times of inner turmoil don’t hold a candle to the unconditional love I feel from a God who calls me His.

So, who would we be if we cared less about offending the world and more about opening ourselves to the complicated, wild, unmanaged, dare I say, queer, person God is calling us to be? How would our lives change if we stopped striving to be named the most popular, smartest, richest, most successful, least controversial person and instead sought the still, small, but relentless call of our Creator who made you and I in His image? I pray that each of us, in this season of Epiphany, can give up striving to earn the world’s praise in order to make space for a deeper and more profound love of who God is calling us to be.