Day Two - What's in a Name?

Yesterday at church a number of people made comments to me about the names of the people in the Genesis stories.  The majority of the comments were about the names being unfamiliar and barely pronounceable, and they seemed relieved when I said that trying to remember all the names was not important. As I reminded them, There will not be an exam on the genealogies!  Or any other parts of the reading for that matter.  Remember, this Challenge is meant to be an edifying, not anxiety-producing experience.


That said, it is interesting to note that names carried significant meaning for the people of God.   Both persons and places were named and remembered for significant events or features.  It was the experience of taking the journey with God that often provided the names, and they often offer a look into the heart and soul of the people and their struggles.  Some of you may have been given names that carry significant family history, or perhaps you've acquired a nickname resulting from some personal trait or interest.  For others, our parents just seemed to like the way our names sounded (for me, being the seventh child, I think my parents had run out of suitable family name options).

As I continue to read I plan to stay attentive to how people and places acquired their names, and to pray that in all that I do I might honor the name that was given to me.

What has captured your attention in these early days of our Challenge?