Dreamers

Some day, my youngest son will ask me why I gave him a name that rhymes with an embarrassing body part and its attendant malodorous function.

I will tell him that his daddy wasn't terribly cooperative with the whole name-generating process, and that this was the best we could do while they were wheeling me into the operating room to deliver him.

And then I will read him (again) the book of the dreamer-shepherd Amos.  And I will tell him that God hates injustice and cares for people who are hurting.

And I will tell him (again) the story of Saint Martin of Tours and his dream.  And I will tell him that God cares for people who are hurting, and that the surest way to meet Jesus is to care for someone who is hurting.

And I will tell him (again) of another Martin who read the book of Amos and found there the assurance that God hates injustice and cares for people who are hurting.  And I will tell him of Martin's dream that people who love God will also care for people who are hurting and will try to do something about the injustice.

And I will tell him that I gave him a beautiful name, and I didn't mean for people to make fun of it.  And if kids make fun of his name, I will be sorry for his pain, and it will hurt me that he is hurting.

And I will tell him never, ever to forget that God cares for people who are hurting, and that God wants us to do something about it.  And that whenever he dreams about his own future, he should ask God for dreams worth having.