Veneer or Solid Wood?

I caught part of an author interview on the radio yesterday. This very articulate woman said that one thing she'd learned in her "20 years on the street" was that how people perceived you affected how they treated you.

Well, yes, certainly. I felt badly about the mistreatment I imagined her experiencing, despite her excellent communication skills. A person's appearance is considered by others, and conclusions are drawn regarding such qualities as honesty, reliability, strength, maturity, approachability, education, and potential value. If a person looks poor or insecure or untrustworthy, strangers will keep their distance.

The radio interview brought me up short after a few moments when the host referred to the author's long career on Wall Street. Oh. That Street.

Okay, so Carla Harris is a businesswoman with more than a briefcase full of professional experience, and she has probably never been homeless. But still, her point about perceptions is excellent.

Ms. Harris went on to caution that whatever quality you'd like to be known for, you'd better be practicing that quality all. the. time. No breaks. For example, if you want people to think of you as having integrity, you must always maintain highest-level integrity. One slip will have greater prominence in their memories than the ten times you acted rightly.

When you get scratched like a piece of furniture, does the veneer come off or is there solid wood that can be sanded and refinished? The photo illustration is a detail of a sideboard that has been in my family for a hundred years. There is some veneer, but its heart is real wood. Solid. Enduring.

How important is it to establish and maintain a good reputation? It takes effort and consistency. More effort, more consistency. Is it worth it?


He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

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What's in a Name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet." (Romeo and Juliet, II, ii, 1-2)

There's a nice little book about prayer that I came across recently. The authors present a fresh view of what prayer is about, and it's quite a good book. I couldn't help but notice, however, that one author's name is misspelled. On every single page of the book. Okay, either it's wrong throughout the text or it's wrong on the cover, on the title page, and endpage bio.

People whose names are slightly unusual are often extra sensitive to names and how they're spelled, and we're used to disappointment when our own names are misspelled. I have a friend who is blind and uses screenreading software to listen to his emails. When we first became acquainted, I noticed that his usual spelling of other words is often phonetic (and therefore technically incorrect) but he always spelled my name right. When I asked how he knew, he said that names are important, so he makes it a practice to have new names spelled out until he memorizes them.

One of my readings this week brought another aspect of the importance of a name:

We give thanks to Thee, O God, we give thanks,
For Thy name is near;
Men declare Thy wondrous works.

Thy name is near. What is significant about God's name? His name stands for His character, His attributes, and His identity. Not only that, but He has adopted us so that we may take shelter under His name. Sure, God is near -- but everything for which He stands is also near. His reputation as Sovereign and Savior is at stake, all the time, on our behalf. These tremendous benefits never depend on correct spellings, or even on exact precision when we pray. His name is ever near.