What’s in a name? – July 3
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 137:1-6(7-9), 144; PM Psalm 104; 1 Samuel 14:16-30; Acts 9:10-19a; Luke 23:32-43
Family names are a big deal on my mom’s side of the family. I was named after my great grandmother Katherine Beaufort Tweedy. My parents almost gave me the same middle name, too, so that my monogram would match hers, but my dad dissented (thankfully) and they used Stuart instead, which is my mom’s middle name. I attended a small private school in Montgomery. While many of my classmates had long lineage in the state’s capital city, my family was from north Alabama. We were not “old Montgomery” folks. Nevertheless, in the class of roughly 45 kids who attended from kindergarten through twelfth grade, there were four Katherines (some spelled differently) and two others who went by a nickname rooted in their given name, Katherine. If you called for Katherine, more than 10 percent of the class would answer!
There are three distinct people with the name Ananias in Acts, a likely cause for confusion when reading the Bible. The Ananias in Acts 5 is the one who is not living fully into the ethos of full sharing and disclosure. When he and his wife Sapphira sell land and secretly decide to keep part of the proceeds for themselves, Ananias is confronted by the apostle Peter about his “Satan-filled heart” and immediately drops dead. The other Ananias is the high priest on the Jewish Council (Sanhedrin) in Acts 23 who examines and censures Paul for being a source of friction and disorder.
However, the Ananias referenced in Acts 9 is crucial in the conversion story of Saul to Paul. We read that he is a disciple – a follower of Jesus – in Damascus, Syria. He has a holy collision with God through a vision:
The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ (v. 10-12)
At first blush, this whisp of a vision is both inspirational and humbling, right? God reaches out to this person who is a disciple for Jesus the Christ, and the Lord is asking him to do something. The words from God are so clear and descriptive, with the name of the person in need, exactly where to find them, and what they are specifically praying in the moment. Ananias responds differently than expected. Rather than saying, “Yes, Lord, I will go right now,” he says, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” (v. 13-14) Ananias needs some holy convincing, for what he knows makes the situation appear tenuous.
God does not drop it. Ananias is needed…by God and by Saul/Paul. The Lord says, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (v. 15-16) Can you almost hear Ananias sigh as God finishes that sentence? Ananias trusts God. He knows that God is faithful, and that he must do as God has asked.
I sat on a web conference last week for Alabama faith and community leaders about COVID-19. This call was to help leverage grassroots community efforts to improve vaccine education and get as many Alabamians as possible immunized against COVID-19. Saint Stephen’s own parishioner Danielle Dunbar, Executive Director of the Alabama Association of Nonprofits, was on the call and spoke eloquently about success stories of COVID-19 vaccination efforts led by Alabama churches and nonprofit organizations. One of the messages being driven home by the White House Office of Public Engagement – which coordinated the meeting – was that local trusted leaders can help connect people, answer questions about resources to get vaccinated, and share science-based information to fully inform communities about this terrible disease.
According the Mayo Clinic’s vaccine tracker website this morning, only 40% of Alabamians have had at least one COVID-19 dose. One-third of Alabamians ages 18 to 64 are fully vaccinated, with about 41% having one dose. So, friends, please receive this message of concern and care from someone who has public health experience and pastoral immersion over this past year with families who have lost loved ones from COVID-19: if you know of someone who is uncertain about vaccines, encourage them to talk with their health care provider. All questions are valid and deserve to be addressed. If you want to be vaccinated against COVID-19, you may easily locate vaccine sites near you by going to http://vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233.
Be healthy. Be well. Know that you are loved by God.
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
When have you needed holy convincing? When have you prayed for someone else to hear the holy convincing message of God?
Daily Challenge
Consider talking to someone about COVID-19. Inquire how this pandemic has affected their faith, their experience with neighbors, and their livelihood. Let them know about community resources for vaccination. Ask how you can pray for them.