What's In a Name...

I have always considered a person's name to be very important. Their name is not just a label, it's who they are. It is a word portrait of the person as a whole. That's why I'm very careful to spell names correctly and when I'm aware of it to take that extra "h" off the end. While the meanings behind English names have been largely forgotten or ignored, Korean names carry special meaning. Many Koreans choose English names, and when they do they look beyond the sound. Many choose Christian/Biblical names, and some seek help in finding just the right one.

I've been given what I consider to be a tremendous honor. One of the Korean staff, 임선미 (Im Sun Mi) came up to me Sunday and with the help of one of the other ladies asked me to choose an English name for her. Only recently Sun Mi and I had our first conversation. Several of us were in the van on the way to the book store the other day, and I noticed that she seemed to be nervous around me. She is like many Koreans, who can speak a second language but do not try for fear of making a mistake. On the way back I decided to have some fun. Sitting in the front seat, I turned around suddenly and facing her said, "So, how are you today?"


I haven't seen eyes that wide in a while. She put her hand over her mouth and while simultaneously laughing and crying said, "Nooooooo!". I didn't let her off that easy. I urged her to answer, and finally she did. Thinking I was satisfied, she relaxed a bit. That's when I whipped around again. Before I could say anything, she began laughing uncontrollably. I did this several times to the enjoyment of the whole van. Gradually, she became more comfortable or perhaps she realized she couldn't get away, I'm not sure which. Since then, she has been more at ease, and we've even had a few conversations. (The picture above is Sun Mi on a recent church poster.)

So now I'm looking for English names. Her Korean name Sun Mi means "Good" & "Beautiful". Fortunately there are a number of websites to help. I'm going to narrow it down to a handful and see what she thinks. This has also gotten me curious about my own name. "Jeffrey" means "God's peace" or "gift of peace." I've looked on the websites but haven't found any Korean names that mean "peace" so I asked 경와 (Kyeong Wha) today. Her English is more advanced than the other staff, so we get together and just have conversation so she can practice. She directed me to the bible of all places. Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit. 화평 (Wha Pyeong) is the Korean version of it. "Wha" means "undivided" while "pyeong" means "gentle" or "calm." I laughed and asked if I should choose a name that descibes who I am or who I wish to be.

Isaiah 43:1 "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. "

He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call