Dcn Leah Sandwell-Weiss

Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" —Luke 8: 30a

Dear friends,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus meets a man with demons. Jesus commanded the demons to come out of him, and the man asked, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” Jesus responds by asking the man his name, the only time that Jesus asked anyone their name in the Gospels (other than in the same story in Mark). Read Luke’s full story here.

Now we could spend some time wondering about why Jesus asked this man his name and not any of the other people he healed. But I’d like to address another question: why is it important to learn the names of those we meet at all?

Today we’re often asked our names. It could be a receptionist, a police officer, a doctor, or someone at a party or a meeting. I often have different reactions to the question depending on who asks and the circumstances. Maybe my reactions depend on whether I believe it’s being asked as part of a job or from an actual interest in getting to know me.

How often do we ask someone their name out of genuine interest, not because it’s our job? I know I see the same baristas every time I go to my favorite coffee shops and yet have never asked their names. But when I know someone’s name, it’s hard to ignore them or treat them as “other.”

If I believe that we are all created in the image of God, then one concrete step I can do to implement this belief is to ask people their names. It’s one reason that we don’t use nametags at Pima County Interfaith meetings; it’s a way to get to know people, learn their stories, and then see what we have in common.

So, whose name will you learn today?

—Dcn Leah