Author Brennan Manning tells the story of how he got the name ‘Brennan’. Growing up, his best friend was Ray. The two of them did everything together: bought a car together as teenagers, dated together, went to school together, and so forth. They even enlisted in the army together, went to boot camp together, and fought on the front lines together. One night, sitting in a foxhole, Brennan was reminiscing about the old days in Brooklyn while his friend Ray listened and ate a chocolate bar. Suddenly a grenade landed in the foxhole. Ray smiled at Brennan, dropped his chocolate, and threw himself on the live grenade. It exploded, killing Ray, but Brennan’s life was spared. Later Brennan was ordained as a priest, and at that time it was customary to take the name of a saint. He thought of his friend, Ray Brennan, and chose the name ‘Brennan’. Years later, he visited Ray’s mother in Brooklyn. They were sitting up late one night drinking tea when Brennan asked her, ‘Do you think Ray loved me?’ Mrs Brennan got up off the sofa, shook her finger in his face, and shouted, ‘What more could he have done for you?’ Brennan says that right then he experienced an epiphany. He imagined himself standing before the cross of Jesus wondering, ‘Does God really love me?’ And Jesus’ mother pointing to her son, saying, ‘What more could He have done for you?’ When Jesus said, ‘It is finished,’ the price of your salvation was paid in full. The question is – will you accept Him today as your Saviour and Lord?
