There is something about a name. Your name defines you. It connects you to family and friends. Your full name even connects you to the people who carried the name before you arrived. Our names are very personal. When our names are spoken by beloved people in our lives, they have the power to open us to the deepest levels.
At the close of Isn’t My Name Magical? Jamaican poet, James Berry, writes:
My name gets called in a whisper,
I am happy, because
my name may have touched me
with a loving voice.
Isn’t your name and my name magic?
In the Gospel lesson for today, Mary Magdalene stands in the garden, overwhelmed with grief. The tomb is empty. Mary is confused and assumes that Jesus’ body has been taken. In her sorrow, she does not recognize the risen Christ standing right in front of her. It is a little funny that she thinks Jesus is the gardener.
Then, in a moment of wonder, Jesus whispers her name, and everything changes. Called by her name, her eyes are opened. What Mary could not see, she is now blessed to understand through relationship. In the garden, Jesus reveals himself through the love that knows her by name.
To be called by name is to be known fully. The Good Shepherd knows your name and calls it to awaken you to His abiding presence. It is good news on this Easter day that even in our most challenging and confusing moments, the risen Jesus sees you, knows your name, and personally calls you into new life.
Alleluia, Christ is risen!
Yours in the name of the Risen Christ Jesus,
Pastor Peter