“…that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
A few days ago I returned from a visit to the Samburu district of northern Kenya. It was a brief visit, unfortunately – but long enough to discover something new about this remarkable place and its people. I learned something new about myself, as well.
I learned that I am lkishili – a name that I share with my age-mates throughout the Samburu nation. The lkishili are bonded together by simultaneous participation in the culture’s most significant rite of passage. They are circumcised together. (I am happy to have missed it.) The rite takes place every fourteen or fifteen years. Thousands of young men, aged 15 to 25, are circumcised within the space of a few weeks. They become an “age-set,” receive a collective name, and become bonded together for life.
The Samburu recite a proverb: “Meatai ntouo natumurataki nemeata nkarna.” “There is no group of the circumcised [i.e., an age-set] which has not its proper name.” The elders confer the “proper name” upon each new generation. For more than a decade they watch an upcoming generation of young men. They carefully observe their outstanding characteristics – and at the time of their circumcision, reveal a name for the entire group.
My generation became lkishili in 1960. Thousands of young men were circumcised together. Boys became warriors – and the entire group became lkishili. The lkimaniki, circumcised in 1948, preceded the lkishili. This was my father’s generation. The lkiroro follow the lkishili, circumcised in 1975. Then come the lmoli, circumcised more recently in 1990. Another age-set will be circumcised in 2005. Even now the elders are watching these boys, evaluating, crafting a name to match their collective personality.
Lkishili, I am told, comes from the root achil, meaning “to watch” or “to watch for amusement.” Lkishili may mean “guys who are amusing to watch”, or maybe simply, “attractive guys. ” Lkiroro, the generation that follows my own, may be translated “guys who talk a lot.” Lmoli, the generation circumcised in 1990, means “guys who have the last word in everything.” What name will a new generation receive?
Our Samburu friends take great care to locate one another according to their age-set. I had not set foot in Ngilae for more than an hour, I think, before my hosts had ascertained my name.
Our Christian friends, I think, should take more care with their name, too. It is a high and holy name, conferred at Christian baptism. Our Father has selected it. It is a name that captures our true identity and best characteristics. The name represents our purpose in the world, too.
We were made a “royal priesthood.” We are a “holy nation.” All of the baptized share this name together. And if we took the name quite seriously, we might discover its purpose, as well. The purpose of such a people is logical and clear: “That we might tell the wonderful deeds of him who called us out of darkness and into light” (1 Peter 2:9).
If you are baptized, too, this is your proper name. And if you take your name seriously, this is your compelling calling.