Some of the most powerful life lessons are taught through simple interactions or encounters. I have a particularly lasting impression from a normal visit to the grocery store with my dad when I was about 10 years old.
On a warm spring day, I joined my dad for a trip to our local Meijer store. We went through the aisles, checking off the items from our list. I am certain I tried to convince my dad we “needed” those freshly baked chocolate frosted doughnuts with sprinkles or a two-liter bottle of Faygo orange soda.
We made our way to the cashier line and waited for our turn to pay. My dad chatted with the cashier and handed him the money to pay for our groceries. Before we moved on, my dad stopped to thank the young man who bagged our groceries. He stopped to intentionally look this man in the eyes and personally thank him: “Thanks, Matt, for bagging our groceries today. You have a great day.”
As we walked away and headed back to our car, my dad turned and said to me: “Patty, you know it is really important to always thank the person who bags your groceries. That person often does not get thanked or even noticed—and it is just a good thing to do.”
Of all the many lessons my dad taught me over the 62 years he lived on this earth, this one has stayed with me most deeply. I learned that day how speaking a person’s name with warmth and kindness is an act of reverence to that human being. It says: “I see you and you matter. You deserve to be treated with reverence and respect.”
As an adult, this is a practice I have carried into every area of life. I am always on the lookout for how I might use a person’s name, however I encounter them—a frazzled waitress, the teenager working checkout at Walgreens, the nurse checking me in for my doctor appointment.
It is a small way that has changed how I try to see and treat people I encounter in my daily life.
What Is Reverence?
There are many different working definitions for this word. The Latin reverentia means “to stand in awe of.” Merriam-Webster states that reverence is “honor or respect felt or shown.” Oxford Languages says reverence is “deep respect for someone or something.” From a faith perspective, we show reverence to God, and from a human perspective, we can and should extend reverence to each other.
Reverence is a disposition of the heart that leads us to the good in all things and draws us closer to God, each other, and the world around us. It is a way of paying attention, noticing the sacredness of all things and all people. It is a deep appreciation of the beauty found all around us, a longing for something greater beyond ourselves.
Every time you and I encounter another human being made in the image and likeness of God, we have a unique opportunity to show that person reverence—in how we say his or her name, our actions, words, and the kindness in our voice.
Too often, the fast-paced haze of life has us whirling at a speed where we feel like we’re moving so quickly from one thing to the next. The stress of daily life and endless tasks to complete lead us to rush past the people we encounter over the course of our day. Sometimes we miss or ignore the person right in front of us. We forget that this person has a name or wishes to be seen and loved as we do.
Prayer
Awaken my heart, O God,
for moments and encounters where I can show reverence to those around me—
colleagues, family, strangers, even people I don’t get along with.
May I pay attention and be aware of the people I encounter.
Help me to remember that every human being
I encounter is one of your beloved children—may I treat them as such.
Will you open my eyes?
Will you whisper to my heart?
1 thought on “Let Us Pray: Names as an Act of Reverence ”
Patricia,
Thank you so much for your words of wisdom. I 100% agree on the importance of calling all people by name and reverencing them as beloved children of our loving God. My husband often teases me at how long it takes me to go grocery shopping at our neighborhood store, but it is precisely because of this. I have come to know the employees and interact with them while I’m there. Smiles go a long way, as well.