A Devotion for Lent 2: The Power of Names

Today marks one week since we have begun our Lenten journey. What we couldn’t have known, as many of us participated in Ash Wednesday services last week, is that a terrible act of violence was about to occur in our own backyard. As we received the mark of ashes on our foreheads and heard reminders of our own frailty, the evils of death and tragedy were making their way across a campus of frightened students and teachers.

If we had not been thinking about death and brokenness before that moment, we certainly began to.

Hear me clearly: the tragedy in Parkland was not a Lenten lesson. It was not God’s way of reminding us that we can and will die. Rather, it was a brutal and tragic reminder that our world is wrapped up in cycles of violence and death.

In response to the deadly and horrific shooting in Parkland, the Bishop of our Florida United Methodist Conference, Ken Carter urged congregations to participate in several acts of remembrance and action during their worship gatherings.

One, was to read his short statement on the tragedy.

Secondly, Bishop Carter asked that an offering of letters to our government officials, state and national be taken. In these letters, he asked that we plead with our officials to prioritize the safety and sanctuary of our children amidst this repetitive and escalating violence, as we upheld the spirit of the Book of Resolutions, #3428, “Our Call to End Gun Violence,” and our first General Rule, to “Do No Harm.”

Another was to read the names of the 17 people who lost their lives in Parkland, and lighting candles in their memory and honor.

The last act, the naming of the victims was an especially powerful act for me. In naming something, we can both give and take away power. As we named these victims, they become more than just faceless statistics. They took on stories, and identities, each wondrous, beautiful, and complex creations of God.

One of the Scripture lessons for this week in Lent is the story in Genesis 17 where Abram is given a new name by God. In giving Abram the new name of “Abraham,” God initiates a covenant between them, a promise of life and of abundance and care. Abraham’s wife, Sarai, is also given the new name of Sarah. In entering this covenant with God, a deep relationship is established – one that will carry through Abraham and Sarah’s long lives and to their many descendants. When God names Abraham and Sarah, God is naming them as ones called and chosen; their names carry power and identity.

This Scripture reminds me of a passage from a passage in The Book of Blessings:

Each of us has a name given by God and given by our parents. Each of us has a name given by our stature and our smile and given by what we wear./ Each of us has a name given by the mountains and given by our walls./ Each of us has a name given by the stars and given by our neighbors./ Each of us has a name given by our sins and given by our longing./ Each of us has a name given by our enemies and given by our love./ Each of us has a name given by our celebrations and given by our work./ Each of us has a name given by the seasons and given by our blindness./ Each of us has a name given by the sea and given by our death. (Zelda, “Each Man Has a Name,” as adapted by Marcia Falk in The Book of Blessings).


When Sarah and Abraham’s names are called by God, they were known and seen as people of promise. As we read the names of the 17 people who died in Parkland, we did so to remember and honor and claim their identity as people who were known, and called, and loved. 

People of promise, with names not forgotten.

There is a power in names and in naming. Whether we are naming a child, a relationship, or even a fear or confession. To name is to shed light upon, to remove from the shadows, to bring into the light of a new day.

In our work, we will learn names and stories. We will hear how the names “Irma” and “Hermine,” “Matthew,” and “Maria,” will never sound the same to so many people. In the names, there is a story – perhaps places of deep pain, but also of promise and hope.

Let us be people that name names – of those whose lives were lost, those who yearn to be known, and moreover, the name of God whose promise of hope and resurrection lives on.

In the name of Christ,

Chaplain Amy

I also wanted to share with you all a resource that UMCOR offers for traveling through Lent. I discovered these wonderful daily devotions that each connect a Scripture passage to a specific story or theme central to the work of UMCOR around the world.

They are short and perfect for a morning/midday/evening reflection. (For reference, we are on Day 8 of Lent).

https://www.umcor.org/UMCOR/Resources/One-Great-Hour-of-Sharing/oghslentdevotion