At the boys’ school here in town almost every grade 8 is blessed with a nickname. If there is an older brother, you simply get his name or an adaption of it. A boy with red hair easily becomes Flame or Ginger. Many boys keep these names for the rest of their lives.

A friend of my daughter is called Pamela. Everybody knows him by the name Pamela. I was curious why he had such a name. He told me that as a shy grade 8 boy nothing about him really stood out. Eventually one of the matric boys asked: “Are you a buttocks or breasts guy?”

Completely puzzled by this question he couldn’t get a word out. The big matric boy bellowed again: “Are you a buttocks or a breasts guy?” Confused, he shyly said, “breasts”. The matric boy responded: From now on you’re Pamela (referring to the well-endowed actress, Pamela Anderson).

And even today his friends call him by that name.

Somewhere along the way we pick up a nickname describing something we had done or not done. My school friends used to call me Bulle and still do so, because allegedly I talked like John Foster (his first name was Balthazar – how they got from Balthazar to Bulle, only they will know!).

Another friend was Bok Tanneman, because he dated Blaartjie (according to the Afrikaans proverb, young goats (bok) like old leaves (blare)…). The Tanneman (directly translated into English, ‘teeth man’) suffix is the result of an incident where he fell off his bike as I was towing him with my motorbike, and in the process lost all his front teeth.

Behind every nickname is a good story.

As we go through life, we also get called certain names. Colleagues easily talk about the angry or the good boss. Our friends may talk about us as the guy who is such a good braaier or the joker. Or maybe the scatterbrained one. Friends may call someone who cares a lot, Mother Theresa.

Some are nice; some are not so fresh.

One of Paul’s friends also got a name, not a very nice one: ¹⁰Demas, chasing fads, went off to Thessalonica and left me here.

Demas, Lover of the World, or Turncoat or Traitor. These aren’t good names. But unfortunately, Demas deserved them, because you see, the calling to follow Jesus was simply too much for him. The world with all its seemingly good things attracted him like a magnet. The pull was too strong and he made the wrong choice.

For the rest of his life he was burdened by these titles.

I wonder what name I would get if I asked my family to give me a name that summarised how I am? I wonder what name my friends and colleagues would give me.

I wonder by what name the people who are around you every day would call you.

Do you wonder too?

Scripture
2 Tim 4:9-13

Reflection
What name would others call you?
Why?Would you have to make a few adjustments?

Prayer
Lord, please help me not to leave the straight path and get lost. With You in me, I can overcome the sinful world with all its temptations. Amen.