A Good Name

If you had taken a random survey of names in a playground at the turn of the century, you might have counted a fair number of Johns and even an Ethel or two among the smiling faces. These days, you're more apt to run into a Michael or a Kaitlyn. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Census the most used names for a male child has been Michael. Michael, which is translated from Hebrew into English as “who is like God?” was an archangel prominent in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions. In the Bible and early Jewish literature, Michael is one of the angels of God's presence. He is depicted as a warrior-prince leading the celestial armies against wicked forces and as Israel's guardian angel. He was an intermediary between God and Moses on Mt. Sinai. Michael also confronted the devil over Moses' right of proper burial. In Christian tradition he is the angel with the sword. The Scripture indicates he will be the leading angel in the ultimate defeat of Satan at the end of the world. Certainly no one would doubt the strength of this good name! And, a good name is something all of us should take very seriously. Solomon certainly understood this truth when he wrote the following:

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all. The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life. In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls, but those who would preserve their life stay far from them. (Proverbs 22:1-5 NIV).

A good name is so important. Take Edwin Thomas, for instance. Edwin Thomas Booth, that is. At age fifteen he debuted on the stage playing Tressel to his father’s Richard III. Within a few short years he was playing the lead in Shakespearean tragedies throughout the United States and Europe. He was the Olivier of his time. He brought a spirit of tragedy that put him in a class by himself. Edwin had a younger brother, John, who was also an actor. Although he could not compare with his older brother, he did give a memorable interpretation of Brutus in the 1863 production of Julius Caesar, by the New York Winter Garden Theater. Two years later, he performed his last role in a theater when he jumped from the box of a bloodied President Lincoln to the stage of Ford’s Theater. John Wilkes Booth met the end he deserved. But his murderous life placed a stigma over the life of his brother Edwin. An invisible asterisk now stood beside his name in the minds of the people. He was no longer Edwin Booth the consummate tragedian, but Edwin Booth the brother of the assassin. He retired from the stage to ponder the question why? Edwin Booth’s life was a tragic accident simply because of his last name. The sensationalists wouldn’t let him separate himself from the crime. It is interesting to note that he carried a letter with him that could have vindicated him from the sibling attachment to John Wilkes Booth. It was a letter from General Adams Budeau, Chief Secretary to General Ulysses S. Grant, thanking him for a singular act of bravery. It seems that while he was waiting for a train on the platform at Jersey City, a coach he was about to board bolted forward. He turned in time to see that a young boy had slipped from the edge of the pressing crowd into the path of the oncoming train. Without thinking, Edwin raced to the edge of the platform and, linking his leg around a railing, grabbed the boy by the collar. The grateful boy recognized him, but he didn’t recognize the boy. It wasn’t until he received the letter of thanks that he learned it was Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of his brother’s future victim.

This lesson from Proverbs gives us insight into the development of a good name. It begins with true humility. It continues in truthful righteous living. It ends with a genuine reverence of the Lord. Whatever your name may be, commit yourself to these things. Then you will have a good name!