“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” – Juliet

And yet a rose does not care what we call it. But try calling your spouse the wrong name (see pic). Or worse, when Ivy was in elementary school her teacher called her “Ivory” for months.

Ivory is beautiful, but it is a poacher’s gift. And our Ivy never felt valued by that teacher.

The simple act of knowing a name bestows worth. To learn my name is the first step to become my friend. Those who are named BElong, the nameless are forever periphery.

Learning names is often not easy. But as any task, with practice and focus we improve. So I challenge you to value others by saying their name.

---

“Zacchaeus, you come down… “ On Sunday we continue a series on Chandler’s vision, this week focused on BElong. I hope you will join us at 10:30, in person or streaming live. (Luke 19)