What's in a name...

There has been chaos at the place I work...we have had to have a big change around in offices to make room for new members of staff which means I have for the first time a door with my name on it. Let me explain. For the past four years I have technically had two offices - one in Ushaw College in Durham and one in York St John University. Now I am not being greedy here - it's just that I had until very recently two half-time appointments in different theological education institutions. However, I work from my study at home so did not inhabit either place in any meaningful way so apart from the symbolic meaning of not being named, it was not something that I spent much time considering...until now...

I find myself pondering on what it means to have a name...what it means to be named...what it means to be publicly owned. There is a bit in the Bible that tells us that our names are written on the palm of God's hand and that we will not be forgotton - this is a verse that I use a great deal when I pray for people that are close to my heart for whatever reason...their names too are written on the palm of my hands and when I wash my hands, when I massage them with hand cream, when I examine the lines and the scars of life and living that are on my hands, I am drawn once more into relationship with the Divine and those that I pray for.

Do you need to be prayed for? I have space on the palm of my hand...