“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
- Romeo and Juliet
I wrote this book because Texas A&M University changed my life. I want you to know just how grateful I am that the people there accepted, supported, and encouraged a guy like me. Before attending A&M in my 40s, I was not the man I had always wanted to be. I spent a great deal of time looking into the mirror not liking the reflection staring back at me. So I am deeply thankful for where I am now. If I had not come to Aggieland, there is absolutely no way I would be the man I am today. I owe that to all the incredible students, staff, administrators, and faculty who actually believed in me and helped me set aside my compromising limitations in order to finally transform into my true self. To say thank you is absolutely one huge reason why I felt it important to write down all the details of my time at A&M.
I also wrote this book to highlight how God used a place like A&M to clean me up and prepare me for a greater purpose. Before digging into the main text, I need you to know that my Christian faith is absolutely at the core of who I am as a person and the driving force for all I have ever wanted to be. The essence of this story is one of faith and devotion to something greater than myself. You see, ever since I was a little boy, I loved the Lord so much that I wanted to spend my life serving him in whatever capacity he asked. In many circumstances, I have been able to do just that. Yet in other ways, before attending A&M, I wasn’t the man of faith that I wanted to be or that God was calling me to be. In that frustration with myself, I made excuses and accepted compromise instead of walking the straight and narrow path of discipline as prescribed by the Lord. I always loved God and wanted to honor him but so much of what I ended up doing was not reflective of a man fully committed to the wisdom of the Bible. I wanted to grow and draw near to God but in my own quest, I was falling short. For my story, it was Texas A&M that the Lord used to mold me into a tool he could use for a greater purpose. In creating that tool, the Lord was also extremely specific about my name.
From its roots, “Andrew” is a Greek name that means strong and manly with other associated sentiments also historically attached such as courageous and brave. My parents named me after Andrew from the Bible, known for possibly being the first disciple of Jesus that was called. What Andrew was most commonly known for was bringing people to Christ. He literally and physically welcomed people to follow Jesus by introducing him to everyone he met. I have always loved my first name but I need to be honest with you here. Growing up, I loved the Lord but I didn’t really think I needed Jesus. I was too proud and felt like I was already ordained to do God’s work because of the authority I felt like he put inside of me. Oh, I was devoted to God but I was so immature and full of pride. Thinking back, I felt Jesus was great for the lesser people but I didn’t really need him. Yup. That’s how naive and self-centered I was back then. I loved the name Andrew because I felt like I was destined to be a king and lead people to God myself. My middle name is Joshua which is also a Biblical connection. Joshua was the right-hand man of Moses and had the opportunity to lead God’s people into the promised land after the Lord held Moses back. It was Joshua who fought the battle of Jericho and defeated his enemies by faith when his army walked around the city blowing trumpets, an act that God used to knock their defensive walls down. I definitely have always wanted to be like him. But again, it was another name that I recognized was leading me toward greatness, even if I wasn’t really making the right choices that would put me into a position where God might allow me to rise.
Growing up and until I entered the Ph.D. program at A&M, my last name was Patterson. I loved my family name because that history is certainly important to me and I’m proud of the ministry of my father, the Reverend Dr. Dale W. Patterson who pastored churches for almost forty years. I’m also proud of my grandfather, William G. Patterson, who founded Gerson Electric Construction Company, an organization that designed and installed the electrical systems in multiple massive structures including the Sears Tower (now called Willis Tower) in Chicago which happened to be the tallest building in the world at the time. Both men are heroes I look up to and I was humbled to bear the Patterson name. Yet, during my time at A&M, I felt the call from the Lord to change my last name to separate myself from all the other Andrew Pattersons.
Yes, it seemed that Andrew Patterson, while it is a wonderful and meaningful name, is actually very common. The name was taken before I had a chance to secure any of the social media handles back in the day. During my time at A&M I would continuously receive emails from publishers asking if I was the Andrew Patterson who published academic papers of which I had absolutely nothing to do with and were not at all related to my field. There was also another Andrew Patterson within the film production world and it became a challenge to distinguish myself from him as we just so happened to both be producing award-winning films at the same time. It was kind of like having the name Michael Jordan and attempting to consistently clarify who I was compared to someone else. And even when I joined the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, there was already another Andrew Patterson in the ranks.
Because of that and a subtle tug in my heart, I recognized that God was prompting me to make a change. Deep in my spirit, I discerned I needed to create a new last name because the Lord was calling me to stand out and be completely unique. Keep in mind, I heard this call from God after I had gone through most of his cleansing transformation so I could actually truly discern his voice. And so, during the summer of my senior year in the Corps, I produced a new last name that no one else had. I used two words that meant everything to me. Christ is Jesus my savior and the director of my life. And joy is the feeling his gift of salvation brings me and is available to the world. And thus, I legally changed my name. You see, there are many Andrew Pattersons. But now there is only one Andrew Christjoy.
In the Bible, God changed several people’s names. He changed Abram’s name to Abraham. He changed Sarai to Sarah. Jacob changed to Israel. Saul changed his own name to Paul. Andrew’s brother Simon was changed to Peter. And actually, Hosea’s name was changed to Joshua. The Lord has a history of changing names for important reasons. When Shakespeare wrote the famous lines for Juliet Capulet, her character was longing to be allowed to be with Romeo Montague. The problem was that their two families were mortal enemies and there was no way they were going to be allowed to be together. Their names were what kept them apart. But in her attempt to rationalize her infatuation with Romeo, Juliet exclaims, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” What Juliet means is that names should mean nothing. A person is just a person. A name should have no bearing on who they are. She wanted Romeo's name to mean nothing so she could be with him despite her name.
Perhaps Juliet was right. After all, we have seen both heroes and villains taking sides under the veil of the same name. Consider Joseph who was recognized as one of the most faithful people in the Bible despite being sold into slavery and then thrown into jail. Compare him to Joseph Stalin who is considered one of the most brutal, evil men in history. So perhaps Juliet and Shakespeare got it right. Names don’t mean anything.
Then again, when God changed Abraham and Sarah’s names it was to signify a covenant of growth and a promise that they would become the origin of a new nation. God gave Israel a new name because he would have an intimate relationship with the Lord. Peter was given that name because he would become the rock on which Jesus would build his church. Paul started using his Roman name after he stopped persecuting Christians and was called by God to spread the good news. God changes names to create a new identity. He changed names specifically to fulfill his greater purpose.
What’s in a name?
Nothing.
Everything.
I felt like God called me to change my last name from Patterson to Christjoy because there was something important he was calling me to do and he needed me to be set apart. But in order for me to be set apart for him, I had to transform into the man that he was calling me to be. I believe he used my time at Texas A&M University going through the crucible of the Corps of Cadets to do just that.
This is my story.
-- This blog post is one chapter in a book titled I Bleed Maroon by Andrew Christjoy that is being finalized and seeks publication.
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