One Name, One People

An Everest Base Camp Devotional

On your first day trekking in Nepal, you meet your guide team and notice something curious. "Hello, I'm Mingma Sherpa," says one. "I'm Pasang Sherpa," says another. "Dawa Sherpa here," introduces the third. Wait a minute – are they all related? Brothers maybe? Cousins?

Turns out, they're not family in the way you'd think. Sherpa people traditionally only had two names – one based on the day they were born and a given name – but when Nepal's Hindu government required surnames for official documents, they adopted their ethnic identity as their shared surname. So every Sherpa guide you meet has "Sherpa" as their last name, not because they're all from the same family, but because they're all from the same people group.

Think about what that means. When a Sherpa introduces himself, he's not just giving you his individual identity – he's claiming his connection to an entire community. He's saying, "I'm not just Mingma. I'm Mingma of the Sherpa people." His name links him to centuries of shared history, shared values, and shared identity. Every introduction is a declaration: I belong to something bigger than myself.

This is exactly what it means to be a Christian. When you follow Jesus, you don't just get a personal relationship with God – you become part of a people. You take on a new family identity that's bigger than your individual story.

In 1 Peter 2:9-10, Peter writes, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Notice the language – "a people," "a nation," "God's special possession." Christianity isn't just a personal spiritual journey; it's membership in a community with a shared identity and purpose. When you introduce yourself as a follower of Jesus, you're claiming connection to billions of believers across history and around the world.

In Galatians 3:26-28, Paul explains what this shared identity means: "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Our primary identity isn't our nationality, our job, our social status, or even our family name – it's our belonging to Christ and to his people.

And in Ephesians 2:19-22, Paul says, "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."

Here's what's beautiful about the Sherpa naming tradition: it constantly reminds them that they're part of something larger. Every time they introduce themselves, every official document they sign, every interaction they have – their name declares their connection to their people. They can't forget who they are or where they come from, because it's literally written in their identity.

As Christians, we need this same kind of constant reminder. It's too easy to treat faith as just one compartment of our individual lives – the "religious" part that we engage on Sunday mornings. But our identity in Christ is supposed to be our primary identity, the one that shapes everything else about who we are and how we live.

When a Sherpa guide introduces himself, he's proud to claim that identity. He's not embarrassed or apologetic about being Sherpa – it's who he is, and he carries it with honor. The question for us is: Do we claim our identity as followers of Jesus with that same confidence and pride? When we introduce ourselves, does our connection to Christ and his people come up, or do we keep that part of our identity hidden?

This Week's Challenge: This week, look for one natural opportunity to identify yourself as a follower of Jesus. Not in a weird, forced way that makes people uncomfortable, but in a genuine moment where claiming that identity makes sense in conversation. Maybe someone asks what you did over the weekend and you mention church. Maybe a co-worker asks your perspective on something and you reference how your faith shapes your view. Practice claiming your connection to the people of God the way a Sherpa proudly claims his heritage with every introduction.

One name, one people. Your identity in Christ connects you to something bigger than yourself.

Questions for Reflection

1. Think About It: What does your last name mean to you? Does it connect you to a family history or heritage you're proud of? How does that shared identity shape how you see yourself?

2. Get Personal: If someone who didn't know you followed you around for a week, would they be able to tell that being a Christian is your primary identity? What signals would they pick up (or not pick up)?

3. Go Deeper: What keeps you from more openly claiming your identity as part of God's people? Is it fear of judgment, uncertainty about your faith, or just not thinking about it as your primary identity? What would change if you saw "follower of Jesus" as your most important defining characteristic?