His Name Is John

Elizabeth and Zechariah, in their old age were granted a child. And they named him John. But in their family, no one had that name. Nevertheless, Zechariah insisted that, “His name is John.”

The scripture passage reminded me of my own name. Of all names, why “Edwin”? Until now, I do not really have an answer.

I recalled my younger days how I hated the name “Edwin”. Yes, of all names, why “Edwin”? Those were the days when I was the laughing stock because of that name. People would tend to associate my name with the jeans.

When it came to writing the name, it was hard to move the pen from one letter to the next smoothly. When I looked into the Bible, the name “Edwin” never appeared in the Bible. When I searched the internet, I just got to know very little about this saint after whom I was named.

When I hated my own name, I was actually saying that I did not really like my own self. There were so much odious comparisons, self pity and inferiority complex intertwined together making me uncomfortable with my own self.

In this passage, I see that there is something much more than just a name. My name spells uniqueness and it is an embodiment of body, mind and spirit. The name is given to me because there is an expectation of me, a hope on me and a path prepared for me.

And now, “His name is Edwin."

"And the hand of the Lord is with him.”

“In the desert he shall remain until the day he appears openly to Israel.”

[Reflection on Luke 1: 57-66, 80]
(Macau)