We must take great care with how we name ourselves. When we take our name, we are declaring in some subtle, indescribably potent act the most intimate, sacred truth of who we believe ourselves to be. For this reason, many traditional peoples have names they keep secret—private names they reveal to no one, or only to those most intimate. Some are shared only with the divine; others, only with family or friends. To broadcast our name, to be flippant or unconscious in the speaking of it, is to trample the holiness underfoot. Whether we call ourselves father or mother, lover or friend, weak or strong, Democrat or Republican, the naming of who we are will set the course of our life, determine what we love, how we live, and what gifts we will bring to the family of the earth. by Wayne Muller