Names… how they seem to follow us.
Not just the ones we’re given,
But even those of our enemies
Seem to be the same as our loved ones,
Yet those of whom we cherish
Can be the same of those we cringe over
At just the thought of their name.
Did Jesus know when He was little
And Judas was the name of His brother,
That one day He’d be betrayed
And delivered to death by another?
Judas that betrayed Him
Is very well known,
So we associate that name
With someone wicked to leave alone.
But what about Jesus’ brother,
The disciple who followed in love?
Is it fair that name alone
Should be so negatively thought of?
Maybe we should refrain from judging
A book by its cover,
And instead inspect the “fruit,”
And love one another.

7-15-11 Written by Gail Brookshire
(by the grace of God)