The nickname Angel for Andrew is so important to me.
Because sure one could hypothetically look at him and say oh you know, call him angel because he's small, blonde, pale, kind of has the same vibe as a cherub you know? If you take away all of the glaring and knifes and things right? Call him angel because he looks like one.
But here's Andrew, a man called a monster his entire life, who's never once been put first. Never once been anything but shunned and neglected by those who were supposed to love him. Who even when he found his family was touted as unstable and dangerous. And suddenly angel isn't just a nickname anymore. It's a symbol of regrowth, of trust, of worship. It's looking at everything Andrew has done and calling him not a monster, but one of God's chosen. One of the symbols of good and purity. And sure Andrew is less then pure in every aspect of the word, but it's looking at his actions. At those "sins" he's committed, and telling him that they don't matter. It's acknowledging that he did what he had to do with the goal of protecting his people in mind.
So you guys can reclaim monster all you want. To me the best nickname for Andrew will always be a soft "Hey Angel" from the person who understands him most.
