Name Above All Names

‘“For thy salvation do mine eyes behold!

            The very Christ of God

Before the face of all the world foretold—

            The King whose feet are shod

“With gospel Thy peace for all mankind!

            Not for Jew alone;

The Gentile also shall salvation find,

            For he shall make both one.’

Charlotte Mason,“The Child Circumcised and Presented at the Temple,” lines 52-59

From The Saviour of the World: Volume One

On December 12^th, 2018, at 3:10am, the newest member of my family was born. His mother and I carefully chose his names. Like Steinbeck’s Samuel Hamilton from East Of Eden, we thought long and hard for “good names to clothe” him, and we chose Atticus Neville.

Atticus Finch- Harper Lee’s noble attorney of Maycomb. Who takes a losing case because it is morally right. Who shows his children that courage is not always a man holding a rifle. Who stands before the evils of men and doesn’t flinch.

Neville Longbottom- J.K. Rowling’s loveable blunderer of Hogwarts. Who risks ostracism from his friends to uphold just rules. Who endures ridicule and abuse yet always seeks to do good to others himself. Who grows to be one of the most humble and brave heroes in Literature. 

I love these characters, and I pray that as my little boy grows, his love of these characters will match or exceed my own. But while I do want him to look to his namesakes for wisdom, I first desire him to look to the One whose Name is above all names. 

In the story of Simeon in Luke Chapter 2, there is a “name” of sorts given to Jesus that brings me to pause. It is not a proper name, but more of a title. Luke says that Simeon is “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” (Luke 2:25) As the story continues, it is shown that Jesus is that consolation, that comfort that has been awaited. But then, in his blessing, Simeon takes this consolation even further, saying that this child will be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:32). So the Christ is also the reconciler of Jew and Gentile. The very Man who will bring comfort to the people of Israel, will do so while also bringing those who are outside his fold into it. He is a comfort for all people. As Ms. Mason writes in the portion of verse above, “For he shall make both one.”

The characters of Atticus Finch and Neville Longbottom represent both the comforting and the reconciling aspect of Christ. They build a more Christ-like world through their actions and words in their own sphere. I pray that not only will my newborn son seek to emulate his given namesakes and the Man whose name he carries through baptism, but that his often failing father will as well.