He knows even my name

Have you ever had a few things happen which seem unrelated, and yet when you consider them together, seem to make a point?

I was talking with a group of friends Saturday morning. One of them stated her belief that it is scriptural that the man is the head of the household. We protested; in fact, I was just a little shocked to hear this woman, who is a leader in her church and in her profession would believe this way.

Today in Sunday school we talked about Samson's parents. Do you know what their names are? Manoah and his wife. Notice that his wife has no name. The angel visits the wife -- more than once -- but the author of the passage or history itself didn't see fit to record her name.

A few days ago I saw a juxtaposition of a familiar hymn: "Jesus knows me, this I love." I like that.

How about this one -- "Our father, who art in heaven, how he knows my name."

And one more, from the song The Summons, which we sang in worship this morning. The first two lines of the fifth verse are, "Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name."

God know us. Each one of us. He knows our names -- and everything that implies. The angel came to visit Manoah's wife, and I guarantee that God knew her name, even if we do not. Not only did he know her name, but her name was important to him, just as she was important to him. She mattered. She mattered to God as much as Manaoh did. If grates against my big picture of God to believe that he would value men more than he values women. That's not God. And you can tell me all you like that different roles do not imply different values to God, but I disagree. To state that men are the head of the household solely because of their gender implies a value placed on them by God based solely on their gender. And that's not God.

Image: Leaf from John XXIII Retreat Center.