Labels
“Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field.” (Genesis 2:19-20)
We’ve taken God seriously since he commanded Adam to “name” all the animals, even categorizing people, too, because we think it helps to better understand them. That way we can judge how similar or unlike us they are, especially when we first meet.
Liberal- Conservative
Republican- Democrat-Tea Party
Evangelical – Main-line Protestant- Christian-Catholic-Atheist-Agnostic
Married- Single-Divorced
American- European-Asian-Cuban
Dog lover- cat lover
Yankee-Southerner
Occupational labels may include a doctor, a lawyer, a butcher, a baker or candlestickmaker, with most of us playing multiple roles during the seasons of our life: mother, daughter, sister, friend, lover, spouse, widow.
Do labels tell the story of who we really are? Many labels are designed to hurt rather than inform, but one label is the common denominator that unites us; we are all “Children of God”.
I’ve recently started posting photographs on my blog and I particularly enjoy capturing a beautiful flower, sunset, or moonrise. A good friend suggested that I look up the names of the flowers so that I could provide a more exact title, rather than just “flower”.
The reason for my photography isn’t to inform, it is to capture a glimpse of God’s beauty for others to enjoy. It doesn’t need a name; it is beautiful without a label.
We may be known by many labels, but we are all God’s beautiful creations, sharing the same name: Children of God.
Blessings,
Agatha