Why the Site Name?

From Revelation 2:17: “I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” This verse has a special meaning for me that is hard to express. It reminds me that Jesus knows each of us in a very personal way, to the point that he calls us by a name only shared between us.

There is an even deeper meaning: the ancient Greeks voted by the use of black and white stones, indicating a “no” or “yes” vote. For Jesus to give us a white stone is to vote a “yes” for us. In fact, the modern Greek word for a “vote” is close to the Greek word used in Revelation (for stone). In ancient Greece, a person could be voted out of the community if enough people wrote their name on a piece of pottery (similar to a stone). Our modern word, “ostracize,” comes from these shards. So for us to be given a white stone with the special name Christ has for us is the opposite of ostracism: it is his “yes” vote for us, his affirmation that we are to live forever in his kingdom of joy.