The Power of A Name

I’ve been “accused” of having adult attention deficit disorder. I say accused because I’ve never been formally diagnosed with the condition, but rather have had friends and family point out my frequent inability to focus on one thing for a period of time. It typically comes in the form of friendly banter about how in the middle of a conversation or activity the participants will look up and I’ll be off chasing a bee or something. I defend myself by arguing that the bee just happened to be the most appealing thing at the time (which, I suppose, could be one definition for ADD).

Regardless of the validity of the accusation, I must admit, coming to a place like The Salt Company creates some challenges for a guy like me. During a service I can often find myself enthralled with the lights in the back of the stage, imagining myself on the catwalk dangling from the rafters, or dreaming of ripping on the drum kit like Brenton. Such a facility, packed with 800 students, creates an atmosphere where my brainwaves are operating on overload.

I believe this complicates my greatest challenge: names. I understand that ministry is about relationships. I know that to enter into someone’s world, to engage in meaningful conversation, to lend a genuine ear, to go out of the way to make someone feel valued, to provide loving counsel, to forgo plans or sleep to invest in the life of another…this is how disciples are made. I also understand that a relationship begins with a name. This is, without question, the most daunting part of being a “new guy.” Where do you begin in a room of 800 people? I guess you gotta start with one person. I’ve been doing this for three months now, working hard to learn names, writing them down, asking random questions of individuals that might help me remember their names better, creating word associations, even Facebook stalking if necessary, etc. Sometimes I get them right, most often I don’t. Sometimes I wonder how significant this “name game” really is. Does it really matter? Is it really worth the time and energy?

Yes. Most emphatically, Yes.

A couple of weeks ago during the “Say hi to someone around you” time at TSC, I recognized a familiar face from this summer. I met the individual once, but by the grace of God, and through a number of memory tactics, this student’s name was immediately accessible from my memory bank as I smiled and offered a handshake. No big deal right? We all get one right once in a while.

The next day I found the following message in my inbox:

Hey Shane,

I meant to catch you last night after salt and tell you in person that I really appreciate you remembering my name. I know that may sound a little crazy, but ever since my first time at SALT I am used to introducing myself to the same person a couple times...It took me by surprise that you knew my name because I know you have met a lot of different people…Thank you for making me feel like more than a number.

Wow. It didn’t take long for me to consider the countless others in a ministry the size of The Salt Company who often feel as though they are just a number, a mere face among the crowd. They are all significant. They are all created in the image of God. They all need someone to remember their name. They all need to hear of the name that is above every name, the name of Jesus Christ.

Then I had another thought. 28,000. The number of students at Iowa State University. Each with a name, each with a soul. I’m thankful God is sovereign, that He not only knows each of our names, but he even has a name for each one of the hairs on our head (unfortunately, each day he has a few less to remember on mine).

This is quite comforting to me as that same night a few weeks ago, immediately after my successful name recollection, I turned to another student next to me, stuck out my hand, smiled and said, “Hey Peter!” To which he replied, “It’s Zach.” I guess I’m a work in progress.

A faith proved by ME

Hey all,

My conversation has continued by email with my old college friend- so this is in a sense part two of the conversation. Our discussion has moved more into the areas of faith and science. I get this a lot from people and while I am grateful all of science (in my opinion) points to the fact that God exists, my faith rests not on the pillar and foundation of the evidence, but on the undeniable evidence within me that God exists, that He is my ultimate authority, I am under His wrath, and through Jesus alone is my relationship with Him restored. Here is my response to his wavering belief in God as a result of questions from science.

A faith built and supported primarily by intellectual and evidenced based faith will always waver, as arguments come daily that bombard and look to destroy your reasoning for what you believe. It's not to say that there isn't evidence, it's just that those who want to deny God have for thousands of years been creating new thoughts on how to get around the evidence that IS there. In fact all liberalism is self-critiquing- as Christians it would almost be wise at times to just let it all go. As a liberal thought will come out today that battles against the conservative Christian mindset- but in 15 years this once liberal idea will also be considered conservative and be ripped apart by those who once created it and will ultimately introduce a new liberal idea.

I do believe all the evidence points to God- I genuinely believe in a catastrophic flood where God killed all humanity and Noah was left. I believe in a literal 7 day creation of the world- as I know that God made Adam and Eve as mature men and women- showing God has the ability to create things with age. I believe he created the world with the appearance of God and then set it all into motion to leave us with an amazing universe full of discovery that would cause men like Albert Einstein to say, "The more I study science the more I believe in God."

My faith in God, though supported by science in billions of ways, is not primarily supported and maintained because of science. It is maintained and supported by the inner testimony of the eternal life that is within me that I cannot deny. Call that foolishness, but what I have within me has proven itself so many times over that even if all of science disagreed with me it would be impossible for me to deny.

A couple years ago I met weekly with a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses for 4 weeks. Michael and a new sidekick were always looking to convince me and me them. We debated the nature of Christ, the sanctity of blood, the true Gospel, and etc and by week four it was clear to them they were getting no where with me, I was a waste of their time and I was out of arguments. So I threw the only thing I had left, though in hindsight it was my best argument. I felt like the guy in John 9- I don't know the answers to all of your questions, but all I know is I was once blind and now I see. I asked Michael, "Tell me what God has done in your life." He responded with a story of his childhood and a belief structure that essentially boils down to, "I believe because Jehovah has given me purpose and meaning in life." The worst support for faith in something ever as anything can give you purpose and meaning- a job, a cat, a terrorist plot, a cult. Most of the time the thing that gave you purpose and meaning isn't anything special it was just the first thing that got you.

I then shared my story- of a man once angry, lonely, loving the world, chasing all it's offerings, and what Christ did in me, has done in me, continues to do in me. "My God is the God who changes lives. What does your God do? Nothing, he doesn't exist. If you don't believe in my story here is 100 others just like it (as I handed him an Intersect magazine). I've seen healings, miracles, greatest of which are people crossing from death to life, and more." With that Michael said thanks and I haven't seen him since.

My inner testimony, which I cannot deny, is what keeps me with God. I appreciate the email and can't wait to talk soon.

Cody