Dear Editor,
My wife and I belong to our town-sponsored fitness center. Several years past, there was a friendly older gentleman named Ray who also attended. If he was there when we went, he’d always be smiling from ear to ear; and when he wasn’t exercising on one of the pieces of equipment, he’d be greeting someone by their first name. We’re convinced if there was a “mayoral election” at the gym back then, Ray would have received all the votes.
In my earlier years in business, there were two very successful people who I was privileged to know and at some point, informally interviewed about the secret to their success. One was Sue Wong, who owned a Chinese Restaurant called the Cathay Temple. The other was Manny Gomes, who owned Manny’s Gas and Service Station. Both told me the same thing. It was not about what seemed most obvious – the best Chinese food or the highest-octane gas: it was about a working relationship with people and purposefully calling them by name.
These examples serve as evidence of the influence and success in the “bothering” to know someone by name. A book by Franklin Graham entitled The Name brings this concept and process to the greatest focus. The name he talks about in his book is Jesus Christ – the one name that is the lightning rod because it represents the division of life between good and evil, God and Satan, light and darkness, righteousness and sin and heaven and hell.
Isn’t it amazing how so many people these days are quick to dismiss, defame, or take the name of Jesus Christ in vain? Sadly, it’s bordering on the politically correct thing to do. Before we join those ranks and the eternal consequences associated with such foolishness, we need to know what God’s word says. The Bible says there is no other name for us to rely upon to be saved, that we should pray to the Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus, and one day every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father.
So, what’s in a name? If we’re referring to the real Jesus Christ, the anointed One and Son of the Living God, then it’s the name that profoundly transcends earthly elections or business success. It’s the name that simply means everything.
Sincerely,
Steven J, Bouley
The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence. All letters must be typed and submitted directly to: news@wanderer.com.