“Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another…” (James 4:11, NIV).
What’s in a name? Apparently, a lot. In many cultures, a name describes the characteristics of the person who bears it.
Enter the Murder Hornet, previously known as the Asian Giant Hornet. The Asian Giant Hornet is renowned as an apex predator within the insect world. It is known to wipe out entire honeybee hives. The Murder Hornet’s name allegedly originated with a Japanese entomologist who said, “You know, the sting is so painful, it’s like murder.”
The good news for this maligned hornet is that its name has been changed to the Northern Giant Hornet. (To be fair, the origin of this species has been identified not only in Asia, but in Eastern Russia and Northwest America.) The Entomological Society of America authorized the change in accordance with its guidelines to ban names that might create a fear-provoking stance toward ethnic or racial groups.
Some might cite the change as another instance of political correctness. I disagree on Scriptural grounds. James, the brother of Jesus, instructs the church not to slander. Slander in this instance is the sharing of incomplete information with others that results in a negative depiction of an individual or group. A person’s good name or reputation can be ruined by slanderous talk.
Children are notorious for labeling their peers. Weirdo. Beak nose. Nerd. I like the term, nerd. It reminds me of a chant I heard years ago from the Northwestern University Marching Band. Northwestern is known as the Harvard of the Midwest. Ohio State was beating the Northwestern football team by sixty points. At which point the Northwestern band chimed:
“That’s alright, that’s o.k., you will work for us one day!”
The fact is that young or old, labeling others causes harm both to individuals and communities. Naming others destroys relationships and creates rifts between people groups. Above all, the New Testament defines slander as a sin. Proverbs 6:16-19 includes slander as one of the six things God hates most. In the end, labeling someone else leads me only to libel myself.
So, I am o.k. with renaming the Giant Hornet. Even better, I am more cautious with the names I employ; lest my tongue comes back to sting me.