One of my most favourite lines in Scripture is John 20:16:  "Jesus said to her, "Mary!"

With one word, the resurrected Christ transformed the life of Mary Magdalene. 

Mary Magdalene, the woman who, only days before, had anointed the feet of Jesus with costly and fragrant perfume and dried his feet with her hair.  Such sensuality between the Lover and the Beloved.  The massaging of Jesus' feet with her strong, gentle hands.  The wiping of his feet with her full, long black hair.

Now, she stands weeping outside the empty tomb.  The love of her life had just been ripped away.  Now, he is nowhere to be found.   The tomb is empty.  But, Love's desire is never quenched, even by the separation of death. 

She saw a man, but he was simply the gardener.  She was blind to the wonder that stood before her.  But once Mary heard her name, her life would never be the same.  One word, that's all it took.

How she must have longed to cling to her beloved.  But, Jesus transforms her into the first apostle.  Go, he says, and announce to the world what you have seen. 

Express the name of another in love and witness their transformation.  Watch their heart and mind expand and fill with delight.  Witness their energy for good.  Watch them transform into holiness. 

What power we hold on our tongues.  The power of life – or the power of death.  Even Scripture says that the most powerful weapon is our tongue.  It can give life.  It can snatch away life.

Think of the last time when your name was spoken in love.  What stirred and moved within you?  There may be no greater gift than we can bestow on another than their name expressed in love. 

Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain.  We know this as one of the Ten Commandants.  No less is the commandant not to take each other's name in vain.  A person's name – what unique and special mark of that person. 

So, my friends, take care with peoples' names.  How you utter the name of another is a matter of life or death.  Mary Magdalene recognized her Beloved after she heard her name in love.  May you instill that same life in others.