One Baptism. Above all, through all, in all.
Rejoice in the Lord always;
Again I will say, Rejoice.
Let your gentleness be known to everyone.
The Lord is near.
Do not worry about any,
But in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving
Let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:4-6
With his dying blessing, Margaret’s husband encourages her, “Travel for me,” he says. “Allow the world to teach you. See what I will never see. Open yourself to wider truths.”
Within weeks of his death, Margaret is invited to travel to South Africa to join a small group of singers from a seminary to meet choirs from township congregations. Together, they will sing, worship and create relationships across cultures, including home stays with families in Soweto.
With the encouragement to travel and a spiritual longing for meaning to embrace her broken heart and deep grief, Margaret signs up for the trip.
On the third day, the travelers are greeted with hot tea, warm embraces and asked to sit within a circle of their new friends in Soweto. Each American is asked to describe herself to the others and the South African friends will give them an African name, just at each person in the township has an African name and given an English name.
Margaret stands, describing her work as a counselor helping others through pain and grief. Within moments, an African friend stands beside her, “I will share my name with you. You will be named “Takalani” based in the words of Philippians 4 encouraging us to rejoice even through the pain.”
Margaret’s eyes fill with tears. Her soul is calmed. With a new name she is invited to travel forward into life encouraged within a Holy blessing and spiritual truth.
Breathprayer: Breathing in: Come to the waters…
Breathing out: …. for newness of life.
Reflection: Names matter. What name blesses you?
This reflection is written for the online Lenten Devotion of the Southeast Iowa Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
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