I will prove the holiness of my great name, profaned among the nations, in whose midst you have profaned it. Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.
The scriptures often remind the Jewish people, and then baptized Christians, that we were not chosen for our remarkable virtue, intelligence, birth, or beauty. In fact there was nothing in particular about the Hebrew slaves in Egypt to draw God's attention to them except their descendence from Abraham, the friend of God. But neither was Abraham a particularly heroic or admirable character before God adopted him and, by circumcision, made him a blood relative.
In his First Letter to the Corinthians (1:26), Saint Paul reminded his fledging church:
Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God.
We should be reminded of this often lest we think too highly of ourselves and become arrogant. If we feel extraordinarily grateful for the gift of faith, as we should, we will invest little stock in lesser claims like race, color, wealth, education, or social standing. Saint Paul gave us a word for all that: rubbish. Given our frequent sins we can't even boast of our fidelity. That too is the Spirit of God which, despite our best effort, does not give up on us.
But if we were chosen for no particular reason, why were we chosen? To prove the holiness of God's great name. A name which the Jews do not utter and Christians, sadly, have forgotten. It is a unique word of four Hebrew letters, called the Tetragrammaton. It is not a generic word like god, lord, or father; it is name without etymology, belonging to the God of the Hebrews, the God whom Jesus sometimes called "Abba."
Rather than utter the sound which is so holy, Jews and Christians substitute many other names, first among them is "Our Father." That circumlocution is a good practice but we should not forget our particular responsibility to it. By our thoughts, words, and deeds; by our demeaner, attitudes, expectations, and hope we should hallow the Name of God.
Anyone meeting us should say, "Clearly, their God is the Most Holy One, for they are a holy people. They carry themselves with self-respect, they honor their parents and their children; they address their neighbors with dignity; they esteem and beautify the world around them. They are not given to exploitation or abuse; they do not lose themselves in moments of intense passion but they do surrender to joy and gratitude in their God's presence. Who is this God whom they worship? We want to know."
Hallowing God's name may seem beyond our abilities. Because it is. But the Spirit of God gives us the ability and eager willingness to carry it out.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.