Mistaken Identity?
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle B
Object:
Mistaken Identity?
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." (vv. 24-25)
Identity can be a tricky thing. The Daily Oklahoman talked to several Oklahomans who shared their name with someone famous. They indicated that sharing a famous name can lead to amusing, irritating, and even extraordinary experiences.
Jerry Rice is a 59-year-old computer service organization manager who lives in Oklahoma City. When a wide receiver by the same name left Mississippi Valley State to become a star in the National Football League almost twenty years ago, Jerry received phone calls almost weekly from local boys hoping to talk to their pigskin hero.
He hated dashing their hopes, so he would tell young callers that he wasn't the star but knew him and would pass on their messages. He had never met his more famous namesake.
He said he receives comments on his name when he meets new people, takes delivery of a package, or boards a plane. He said, "It's really not just an occasional thing. It's an everyday thing. When people say, 'You don't look like Jerry Rice,' I tell them, 'I changed color and I only play football on the weekend.' "
Also having an identity crisis is Big Ed, whose real name is Edgar Allen Poe. He actually was named for the famous writer. His mother, Joann Palmer, gave him the name hoping to get him on the 1950s television show "The Name Is the Same." He never got on the show.
The 48-year-old Comanche, Oklahoma, resident comments, "I have the name of a famous and important person, and it's never been annoying. I've had a lot of fun with it, and I still do."
However, he does admit that he has had problems when he writes a check, renews his driver's license, or orders something by phone. He said, "Some take you at your word, and others, you have to prove it to them ... you kind of have to show them your license or something for them to believe you. You get it all the time like that."
At an emergency room in Greenfield, Indiana, he signed his name on the waiting list to get treatment for a broken leg. He had not heard the nurse say his name and asked whether she had called him. She replied, "No, some idiot signed Edgar Allen Poe." And he answered, "Well, I'm the idiot." Apparently, a prankster had signed the list "Jesse James" the day before, raising her suspicions.
And let's not confuse classic rock fan Michael Bolton of Miami, Oklahoma, with the balladeer who shares his name. The Oklahoman is a lieutenant with the Miami Fire Department and owner of Bolton Heat and Air. He usually goes by Mike but uses Michael for his signature. That's when his name draws attention.
He often tells people that Bolton is the singer's stage name. The vocalist was born Michael Bolotin. He also is sure to let people know that he's had the name longer than singer.
He also is frequently asked whether he has seen the movie Office Space which features a character with his name who loathes the association with the singer. He hasn't seen the movie, but he doesn't share the offense. He said, "You get used to it. You just kind of blow it off. It's not any big deal."
His strangest name experience involved a Kansas resident who called because he wanted to name his registered quarter horse after the vocalist but needed to get permission. Apparently unable to get in touch with the singer, he asked Bolton to write a consent letter. He agreed, assuming the caller considered his consent the next best thing. He said, "I don't know if anything ever materialized with that."
Identity can be a tricky thing. We fault Thomas for wanting to make sure that the risen Jesus was really who he said he was. Can we fault him? After all, he hadn't seen the resurrected Christ; he had only heard from others. One cannot always take the word of another or assume an identity just because of one's name. We would want to know for sure as well. If we heard Jerry Rice, Edgar Allen Poe, or Michael Bolton was at the mall, we would want to check it out ourselves. If you're a fan, it may sound too good to be true. That was Thomas' perspective.
(Details taken from a 02/22/04 story "What's In A Name?" in The Daily Oklahoman by Brandy McDonnell.)
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." (vv. 24-25)
Identity can be a tricky thing. The Daily Oklahoman talked to several Oklahomans who shared their name with someone famous. They indicated that sharing a famous name can lead to amusing, irritating, and even extraordinary experiences.
Jerry Rice is a 59-year-old computer service organization manager who lives in Oklahoma City. When a wide receiver by the same name left Mississippi Valley State to become a star in the National Football League almost twenty years ago, Jerry received phone calls almost weekly from local boys hoping to talk to their pigskin hero.
He hated dashing their hopes, so he would tell young callers that he wasn't the star but knew him and would pass on their messages. He had never met his more famous namesake.
He said he receives comments on his name when he meets new people, takes delivery of a package, or boards a plane. He said, "It's really not just an occasional thing. It's an everyday thing. When people say, 'You don't look like Jerry Rice,' I tell them, 'I changed color and I only play football on the weekend.' "
Also having an identity crisis is Big Ed, whose real name is Edgar Allen Poe. He actually was named for the famous writer. His mother, Joann Palmer, gave him the name hoping to get him on the 1950s television show "The Name Is the Same." He never got on the show.
The 48-year-old Comanche, Oklahoma, resident comments, "I have the name of a famous and important person, and it's never been annoying. I've had a lot of fun with it, and I still do."
However, he does admit that he has had problems when he writes a check, renews his driver's license, or orders something by phone. He said, "Some take you at your word, and others, you have to prove it to them ... you kind of have to show them your license or something for them to believe you. You get it all the time like that."
At an emergency room in Greenfield, Indiana, he signed his name on the waiting list to get treatment for a broken leg. He had not heard the nurse say his name and asked whether she had called him. She replied, "No, some idiot signed Edgar Allen Poe." And he answered, "Well, I'm the idiot." Apparently, a prankster had signed the list "Jesse James" the day before, raising her suspicions.
And let's not confuse classic rock fan Michael Bolton of Miami, Oklahoma, with the balladeer who shares his name. The Oklahoman is a lieutenant with the Miami Fire Department and owner of Bolton Heat and Air. He usually goes by Mike but uses Michael for his signature. That's when his name draws attention.
He often tells people that Bolton is the singer's stage name. The vocalist was born Michael Bolotin. He also is sure to let people know that he's had the name longer than singer.
He also is frequently asked whether he has seen the movie Office Space which features a character with his name who loathes the association with the singer. He hasn't seen the movie, but he doesn't share the offense. He said, "You get used to it. You just kind of blow it off. It's not any big deal."
His strangest name experience involved a Kansas resident who called because he wanted to name his registered quarter horse after the vocalist but needed to get permission. Apparently unable to get in touch with the singer, he asked Bolton to write a consent letter. He agreed, assuming the caller considered his consent the next best thing. He said, "I don't know if anything ever materialized with that."
Identity can be a tricky thing. We fault Thomas for wanting to make sure that the risen Jesus was really who he said he was. Can we fault him? After all, he hadn't seen the resurrected Christ; he had only heard from others. One cannot always take the word of another or assume an identity just because of one's name. We would want to know for sure as well. If we heard Jerry Rice, Edgar Allen Poe, or Michael Bolton was at the mall, we would want to check it out ourselves. If you're a fan, it may sound too good to be true. That was Thomas' perspective.
(Details taken from a 02/22/04 story "What's In A Name?" in The Daily Oklahoman by Brandy McDonnell.)
