through those relationships we come to know ourselves
At birth I was given the name of “Robert”. Within my birth family I am known as “Bobby”. My father always (and he is the only one to have ever done so) called me “Butch”. My nieces and nephews know me as “Uncle Bobby” or “Unka Bobby”. When I entered monastic life I was given the name of “James”. When I was ordained to the Priesthood I became known as “Father James”. One of the children in my parish could not say “Father”, so he always called me “Fawah”. In Hawaii I am known as Kahu Kimo (Kahu being the Hawaiian equivalent of Reverend, and Kimo being the equivalent of James). Those to whom I give in-depth spiritual guidance call me “Abba”. All of these names arise out of my relationships with others. It is in relationships that we are known by others, and through those relationships that…
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