This last through counselling, and care for those who land on our doorstep in need. We continue in the place to which, and in which, we are called. I remember how my parents used to murmur with friends about the increasing lack of courtesy in the world around them, and their concerns about where this might take society. Its immediate expectation that people must address one another on a first-name basis appalled my parents. Further to this, first naming has proven itself to be not only familiarity without friendship, but a new way to hide your identity and avoid responsibility.
Names can have, and do hold, meaning.
Anthropology and Scripture both reveal the importance of names and titles. These are not power symbols, in the negative sense, but rather reveal people s place within their society and culture. Names and titles were given to people, throughout time, to mark transitions in their lives. In tribal societies, such as the Yanamamo of South America, true names are never given to outsiders because outsiders cannot be trusted with their names. For them to know one s name, and the place one holds within society, is to risk losing, quite literally, oneself.