In the Indian village of Kongthong, not far from the border with Bangladesh, Shidiap Khongsti sings a soft, melodic tune. It sounds like a lullaby a mother would sing to a crying baby. Seconds later, she hears a tune in reply, and her nephew comes running toward her. The tune is much more than an idle melody: For centuries, villagers have used tunes as their names. Mothers give each newborn a distinctive melody within a week of birth.

The Indian village encompasses about 130 households in a small area. Locals never reuse the same tunes, even after a person dies. Shidiap said, “We don’t know how it began. Our forefathers used these tunes when they went hunting. But it’s highly likely the tradition has practical roots. Tunes carry over distances better than names.”

Opposite Shidiap’s house, a 50-year-old mother of seven, runs a grocery shop. In the article she says, “I know most people’s tunes.” When little children run past her shop, she sings their tune, lovingly. The village has a population of about 700, and she believes she knows about 500 melodies.

Shidiap concluded with this about her four children: “When they were babies, I sang a tune to send them to sleep, and that became their name. Only mothers can give their children these tunes. It’s out of mother’s love.”

Possible Preaching Angles:

1) Fatherhood of God; Love of God – In his deep love for us God our Father also sings a song to his children (Zeph. 3:17) and gives each one a unique name (Rev. 2:17); 2) Motherhood; Mother’s Day – A mother loves each of her children in a unique way and gives special thought to the name that each one is given.