Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“She said to them, ‘Call me no longer Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, August 19, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Names carry deep meaning. Not just names that can be traced through history to words in this or that language, but any name that is given. My daughter’s name, for example, is the title of a song by a Scottish band. It’s a completely made-up word, and while I have read some analyses of what the word meant to the songwriter, I don’t believe I have seen anything definitive from the source, and sadly he died in 2001 so I couldn’t even write to ask him. And it doesn’t matter. To me, her name means “the spirit of Scotland” and carries a deep connection to heritage, nature, joy, and hope. No one else has to “get it.” I do. And she does. That’s what matters.
By proclaiming herself “Mara,” Naomi has made a statement of identity. She has turned away from her past and taken on the persona of tragedy. Maybe it’s a little melodramatic by modern standards. Maybe it’s no more melodramatic than my daughter’s name. She has decided in that moment who she is and wants everyone around her to know for whatever reason I may not understand.
Regardless of the whys and wherefores, we ought to respect her request for the acknowledgment of her grief every time we utter her name.
Does my name have a particular meaning? What does it mean to me?
