There is an old Latin saying, “nomen est omen” which means “name is an omen.” At times, the Bible refers to omens and divination positively or without condemnation (Leviticus 16:8-10. Acts 1:26); at other times, such practices are depicted negatively (Deuteronomy 18:9-12). (2) However, what is meant by “omen” in the saying, and this article, is that a person’s name is a “sign” of who a person is in their true identity.
Jesus told Pilate, “For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37). “Therefore see to it that the light in you is not darkness” – Jesus (Luke 11:35). While skimming a book I’d previously read entitled “The Great Philosophers: From Socrates to Foucault”, a quick summary of influential philosophers, I was sometimes struck by the darkness and futility of their ideas. Yet I was open to seeing truths that might be found within the shadows so to speak. I gleaned what truthful ideas I could from…