God is love - a Lenten series 21 Love names
“One of the two who heard John speak and followed (Jesus) was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas (which is translated Peter).”
John 1:40-42
Nicknames indicate affection or disdain in groups. I've had many nicknames through my years, depending on the groups I was part of. Some would seem downright mean to those outside the group, but in my peculiar New England culture, the meaner the name, the greater the affection. It's weird, I know. It's interesting how the same nickname used by those who don't like you can bring pain, but within the group, it brings confidence.
Jesus calls Simon, Cephas/Petros, which means stone. Maybe Peter was really hard headed. Maybe he was thick and slow to understand things. Well, he was those things, and Jesus recognized them early on. That's the name Peter kept for the rest of his life. "Hi I'm Knucklehead, slow to get things and oblivious to circumstances. It's my nickname in love and I'm proud of it." I'm sure his opponents thought he was a knucklehead and let him know what they thought, but the insult from others he received with a warm heart.
Some of us who are politically motivated by compassionate were called bleeding hearts, now snowflakes. These are nicknames we are proud of. May I always be accused of having too much compassion, a bleeding heart liberal.
Nicknames indicate affection or disdain in groups. I've had many nicknames through my years, depending on the groups I was part of. Some would seem downright mean to those outside the group, but in my peculiar New England culture, the meaner the name, the greater the affection. It's weird, I know. It's interesting how the same nickname used by those who don't like you can bring pain, but within the group, it brings confidence.
Jesus calls Simon, Cephas/Petros, which means stone. Maybe Peter was really hard headed. Maybe he was thick and slow to understand things. Well, he was those things, and Jesus recognized them early on. That's the name Peter kept for the rest of his life. "Hi I'm Knucklehead, slow to get things and oblivious to circumstances. It's my nickname in love and I'm proud of it." I'm sure his opponents thought he was a knucklehead and let him know what they thought, but the insult from others he received with a warm heart.
Some of us who are politically motivated by compassionate were called bleeding hearts, now snowflakes. These are nicknames we are proud of. May I always be accused of having too much compassion, a bleeding heart liberal.
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