Hope for Life Blog

I was at a large convention recently where all the participants wore nametags around their neck. This is a really good idea. It lets people know who you are, prompts you when you cannot remember names, and gives you a visual aid when you are meeting people. Nametags identify the company people work for. They let you know who you are talking to. But they only work when they are facing the right way. If they are turned around, they are absolutely useless.

Why would you wear a nametag no one is able to read? Why would you forget to check and be sure it had not twisted the wrong direction? Maybe they do not care if anyone knows their name. Maybe they do not want anyone to know who they are. Maybe they are ashamed of whom they are, or the company they work for.

I have known Christians who want to keep their identity secret. Maybe they are ashamed of things in their life, or they are embarrassed to be seen as a Jesus follower, or perhaps they do not even realize they are hiding their identity.

Jesus did not call us to live as “hidden” believers. The very act of coming to Jesus is not done in secret. It involves confession and baptism. From that point on, Christians serve as light in a dark world pointing to Jesus.

So maybe we all ought to pay attention to which way our name tag faces.