S2E01 - A Proverb on THE POWER OF NAMES - "Orúkọ ńroni; àpèjà ńroni"

<p><strong>PROVERB CONSIDERED:</strong> <em>"Orúkọ ńroni; àpèjà ńroni."</em></p> <p><strong>INTERPRETATION: </strong><em>"One’s name affects one’s character; one’s war name determines how one behaves."</em></p> <p><strong>MEANING:</strong> To put it succinctly, <strong>people are influenced by their names.</strong></p> <p><strong>BIBLICAL REFLECTION:</strong> This belief that people are influenced by their names is common in Biblical records, especially among the Jews. We see cases of God changing people's names and how that has a significant impact on their lives (Abram, Sarai, Jacob, Simon...). We therefore reflected on this proverb by highlighting a couple of things:</p> <ul> <li>1. That we should see the opportunity to name our children as an <strong>opportunity to speak prophetically into their destinies</strong>.</li> <li>2. That <strong>names can be weapons of war,</strong> and so we should not be flippant in the names we give our kids.</li> <li>3. That we should embrace the opportunity to articulate what we know of God (or what we desire from Him) in <strong>self-coined names </strong>which we ascribe to Him.</li> <li>4. That we should appreciate and engage with <strong>music, poetry and other art forms</strong> that can help us <strong>conceptualise God in deep expressions in our native languages</strong>.</li> </ul> <p><strong>BIBLICAL EXAMPLES CITED</strong></p> <ol> <li>Peter. (Matthew 16:13-20)</li> <li>Jabez. (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)</li> </ol> <p><strong>FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH &amp; ANU OLA</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://linktr.ee/josephola" target="_blank">https://linktr.ee/josephola</a></li> <li><a href="https://josephola.disha.page/" target="_blank">https://josephola.disha.page/</a></li> </ul>