What’s In A Name?

What’s in a Name?

You will be given a new nameby the LORD’s own mouth.

Isaiah 62:2

Several years ago I traveled to China. The trip was an opportunity for thirty-four American Christians to enlarge their understanding of the worldwide church and to provide Chinese Christians with Chinese-language Bibles.

A powerful part of this trip was the thirty-six-hour train ride from Beijing to Hong Kong, which gave us plenty of time to socialize with fellow passengers. We were eager to share the gospel with anyone who would listen, while also being careful not to draw the attention of the police on the train.

We had one Chinese-speaking man in our group. Though we overwhelmed him with requests for translation help, he was gracious enough to serve as translator without ever taking the role of evangelist away from the Americans trying to participate in these spiritual conversations.

One of these conversations resulted in a man deciding to become a Christian. It is common practice in China for a new convert to choose a new, Christian name to signify his new life. Our translator asked this new convert what Christian name he might choose.

The man wasn’t sure. He mentioned he would be the first Christian in his family and in his village. So the translator suggested Peter as his Christian name, Peter being one of Christ’s first followers.

The man agreed, and he was christened Peter. It was only then that we learned he had a very common surname in China: Pan. So somewhere in China today is a church leader named Peter Pan!

—Melanie Jongsma

Lord, I praise you for loving us and redeeming us and writing our names in your Book of Life. I ask you for new opportunities every day to share your name with others. Amen.