The power of a name is seen in the Bible in several places but my two favorites are the Covenant God makes with Abram and Sari and the conversion of Saul. By making new covenants with them God gives them new identities, new beings and new names into Abraham Sara and Paul. The names we have and the titles we gain there is much that goes into a name.
In one of my favorite movies Spirited Away directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the main character Chihiro is warned to not tell anyone her name. By telling your name you give your being away. Somehow she is tricked into giving her name to the prevaor of the bath-house and she forgets who she is and becomes Sen. With the help of a friend she is able to regain her name and begin to reclaim her life and the life’s of those around her. This is also a story of growing up and growing into your given name and titles.
Last week I was conducting worship at the hospital and from my perspective it was not a great success but that for this story is beside the point. As I was waiting for the director of pastoral care one of the patients came and told me thanks. But what made this different then in other times was that he called me pastor.
I still don’t fully think of my self as seminarian yet even though I have been doing this seminary thing for almost a complete semester. Even when someone asked me this, during a conference this week it took me a moment to say yes. Let alone a pastor. I do think of myself as other things, a social worker(even though no one has ever called me this, I don’t think that this has the same address as pastor though…), aunt, Christian. These are things I will fully proclaim that I am, but pastor?
The gentleman who was saying this was saying it out of respect and I like to think love. But also because he might have forgotten my name, which I take no offence to as I am only there once a month. But this got me to thinking will I want people to call me pastor Betty? I don’t like it when people call me Ms. Betty, except when you are in grade 5 or below. I also understand that for some cultures to call a religious official by there first name alone might be a serious no-go. But what I think most of all that I would be desired to be called would be something like, Betty no better or no less servant of God. But even that in and of itself is a title so I think I’ll just stick with Betty.
By knowing a name of someone you instantly empower them. You give them a quiet dignity that for some populations has been lost and is so hard to regain. To know someone’s name is to begin to know who he or she are and what they are. Their friends is the power of a name.
I don't think you should feel awkward at all at being called Pastor or any other term of respect. For me, I feel empowered by people's implicit affirmations that they find me worthy of the status - so you should feel confident about your own leadership and impact on these people's lives already. That's what this man was actually telling you when he called you Pastor.
ReplyDeleteAs far as other titles go, I would love to see Brother and Sister as addresses come back into vogue for Christians, mimicking the early church. First, it'd be adorable. And second, as you said, it gives dignity to every person to be addressed in an acknowledging and relational manner. I also have a friend who would sometimes facetiously address us as "co-heirs of Christ," but you know, that's just a mouthful.
- Linzi