A friend was describing the process of naming the diving team when he was young. There were the Sharks, the Whales, and the Sting Rays. The circle of supple teens tossed out catchy ideas.
"How about The Olympic Champions?" one boy suggested. Several nodded in agreement. Why not clap an epithet on that made them feel great? They entered the season wearing t-shirts printed with blue letters.
When other teams heard about it they felt defeated before the meet began. What chance did they stand with opponents like that?
But it turns out that self proclaimed names don't always reflect what is going on inside.
It can be tempting to attach badges on our breast that pronounce attributes we think fit. But many of them turn out to behave like verbs. Virtues like generous, or Christian, or married need continual updating. The donation I made last year to a worthy fundraiser was valuable, but what have I done lately? Yes I professed my eternal devotion to John on our wedding day, but how did I speak to him this morning?