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Exhibition: Saving St Paul's: The Watch and the Second World War

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Exhibition: Saving St Paul's: The Watch and the Second World War

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Sacred Remnants: a journey through objects and faith

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Sacred Remnants: a journey through objects and faith

Mark Nam reflects on the everyday objects that intersect with his faith and his heritage to connect him to God in unexpected ways.

Faith is rarely an abstract thing. It lives in the folds of daily life, in the objects we hold, the meals we share, and the stories we inherit. As a third-generation British-born Chinese Anglican priest, I often find my faith entangled with my heritage—sometimes in ways that surprise me. This series of reflections explores that intersection through everyday objects that have shaped my life. They are more than just things; they are bearers of memory and meaning. They connect me to my ancestors, to a sense of home, and, in unexpected ways, to God.

1. The Name Chop: Identity and Ink

When I was young, my parents gave me a name chop—a small, weighty seal carved with Chinese characters. Made of jade, square, and cold to the touch, yet it felt alive in my hands. It carried an authority beyond its size, for with one press into cinnabar ink, it imprinted my name in red script older than my understanding. 

That name chop meant more to me than just an elegant flourish on letters or artwork. It was a link to something deeper. Our family name had been lost when my grandfather arrived in the U.K. in 1918. Like many Chinese immigrants, he introduced himself in the traditional way: surname first, given name last. The British immigration officers, unfamiliar with the custom, mistook his given name for his family name. And so, by a clerical accident, our lineage was rewritten. Ever since, we have been known as the Nams—carrying a name that was never meant to be ours. 

But the name chop whispered a different truth. It reminded me that our history was not erased, only misfiled. It stamped in blood-red ink the reality of who I was, even when the records said otherwise. 

Names matter in Scripture. Time and again, God renames His people to reflect their true identity: Abram becomes Abraham, Sarai becomes Sarah, Simon becomes Peter, Saul becomes Paul. A name is not just a label; it is a calling, a belonging, a covenant. And yet, names can also be lost, stolen, or rewritten by forces beyond our control. The Israelites wept by the rivers of Babylon, called by foreign names, their heritage seemingly erased. And yet, God never forgot them. 

The name chop my parents gave me is a small sacrament of that truth. Even when human hands miswrite our stories, God remembers who we are. He knows our real names. In Christ, we are given a name that cannot be taken away: Beloved.

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The Revd Mark Nam is a Vicar in the Diocese of Oxford and co-founder of The Teahouse which raises the visibility and participation of Chinese heritage clergy in the Church of England. He is a chaplain for the Church Mission Society, a trustee for SPCK publishing, and a recipient of the Archbishop’s Langton Award for his contribution to the community in accordance with the Church’s teaching.

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