Name-Calling and Name-Dropping

Monday, 9th March 2026

Recent and regular readers of my blog will get the impression that I am currently in the perfect CG led by a truly godly couple.

Well, yesterday morning, something happened that totally blindsided me.  A fellow CG member (let's call him VX) openly challenged me on our CG group chat and unfortunately, instead of just ignoring him, the flesh inside me rose up, and we ended up sparring in the chat group for a good hour.  Thankfully, the 8:30am service started, so I put my phone away.

But the damage was already done.  Both CG hosts reached out to me, and I thank God for them.

Up till yesterday morning, VX and me have been civil to each other.  We have had our minor differences before, but what caught me totally by surprise was him opposing me not privately but openly and publicly in the chat group.  There is some underlying hostility on his part, and unfortunately, I took the bait.

He accused me of name-calling and name-dropping.  What is ironic is that he name-calls too, but that's not the main point of this post.

Nonetheless, let's start with name-calling.  

I frequently joke with my golfing kakis that ever since I retired from the corporate world, my face has gotten smaller and whiter, and that I eat soft rice. I frequently refer to myself as "吃软饭的小白脸", which literally means "the small white face that eats soft rice".

In Chinese, a 小白脸 is someone who relies upon a woman to support him, while 吃软饭 is the act of relying on a woman to support him.  Combining both gives added emphasis.

Most of them will laugh in response, but one particular kaki said, "Not everyone got this kind of kang tau (opening) hor, got people want but also cannot have."

Name-calling?  Guilty as charged, and I even direct it at myself.

Now onto name-dropping.  Is that something that I do?  Come to think of it, it does come across that way.

I do know personally

• my MP Mr Seah Kian Peng, because he invited me to serve in his MPS
• a particular Mayor (which I will not name to protect her privacy), as we were in the same CG before she even became an MP. I recall us praying for her when she told us that LHL had approached her.
• several pastors and senior leaders in various Methodist Churches
• quite a handful of pastors and deacons in New Creation Church
• Mr Pang Hoe Sang, the one who built both NewCre and PLMC
• Mr Gilbert Lee, the audit engagement partner of the Lodge I volunteer with, because he was the same partner-in-charge of the listco I was working in 
• etc
• etc

But I got to know them (and they, me) purely because of God's divine arrangement.  I take absolutely zero credit for that.

I recall how some Methodist pastors were wary of offending me because they thought I was on very good terms with BE Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup when he was their TRAC President.  But he and I only met up once for lunch circa 2007, because Philip Ng and I wanted to know what was the Methodist Church's stand on the grace gospel.

So why did the pastors think that?  That was because Catherine Wee (his wife) went around telling people that she was good friends with my wife!!!  Mrs Wee was the name-dropper haha.

Having said all the above, is name-dropping biblical?  What if I told you it is?

We read in Acts 22:25-29 how the apostle Paul was about to be whipped.  

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,

24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 

25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered.

28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.

Notice how Paul himself dropped the biggest name back then by telling the commander that he was born a Roman citizen.  That would be the equivalent of telling people he was a White Horse in the Singapore Armed Forces, or that he was the son of the ex-PM of Singapore (oops maybe that is not quite a good example) :P

As I was reflecting upon what happened, I felt the Lord telling me, "Son, extend forgiveness to VX because he is envious of you." 

"What Lord, he envious of me?  I am an unemployed accountant whereas he is a renowned professional who runs his own firm."

"He has to work very hard to get connections, whereas I have connections bestowed upon you. That is why he called you a name-dropper".

After reflecting upon this, I repented and said. "Sigh, you are right Lord, I forgive him and I will likewise look for the opportunity to seek his forgiveness."

So dear readers, please do keep VX and me in prayer.  I have had enough of washpots in my ministry and I really do not need one in my CG.