I’ve had occasion recently to think about words. I do this from time to time. I’ve always been a reader, I guess, and as such I’ve read a lot of words. Some people have a difficult time reading or, maybe not difficult but not something they enjoy much. I can’t imagine not reading but, then again, I can’t imagine fixing a car or building a beautiful wood cabinet from scratch. We each have our particular gifts. I find myself frequently immersed in words so it’s not a surprises when I pause now and then to reflect upon them.

Words and the languages they comprise, are merely symbols of certain things. They are ways we capture our thoughts, ideas and dreams and, when pieced together like we do a puzzle, they actually become a thing of themselves. In doing so, we are able to think and reason and, especially, communicate with others.

Words also lead to meaning, a peculiarly human feature and one, we too frequently take for granted. I guess I took the nature of words for granted for the longest time. They were the way I learned best and a way I was able to become lost in the most remarkable places, traveling backwards in time and around the world to experience all sorts of things from the mundane to the astonishing. It wasn’t until early adulthood, however, that I really began to realize their complexity, similar to mathematical symbols, where a single word might be the critical piece to unlock things of great depth and import. And, it’s only been in the more relatively recent past that I’ve changed some of my habits regarding use of some words.

As the theme of these pages is largely about a thing we can call faith, I want to turn to a couple of observations. They may come across as a little trite and that’s ok.

The first regards the name of that person commonly known as Jesus Christ. Known by some billions of people as God incarnate and many others as all sort of things from a vague historical figure and, perhaps, a teacher to one of the most widely used swear words, these two words can pack a punch.

At the risk of putting too fine a point on things, this man’s name was not Jesus Christ. As such, I’ve evolved away from referring to him in this way. Christ is not a last name. It is a designation; in this instance a reference to the long anticipated messiah or savior of the Hebrew people. Jesus was the son of Joseph and heralded from a backwater town on the shores of a large lake, one we call the Sea of Galilee, itself a not particularly imposing feature in remote part of the Roman Empire. For me, it would make more sense to either just refer to him as Jesus or as Jesus the Christ. To just refer to him as Christ would be like saying Lord or Savior. When Jesus asked his disciples who people thought he was, they told him that people thought he was Elijah or one of the other prophets. When he asked them who they thought he was, Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” I believe they referred to him directly as Rabbi (teacher) and, sometimes, Lord.

Why is this important? Well to many people it just isn’t. But to me, how we interpret these two words will affect how we understand the whole equation.

The thing I believe to be fundamentally true is that this person was both fully God and fully man. A feat so remarkable that it is without equal as a claim in human history. Now, Jesus, the Christ, represents this, where either of these two words in isolation may tilt our understanding of the big picture, or significance, a bit off kilter. In my experience, there may be a tendency to see Jesus as more human than divine and Christ as more divine then human. Why does this matter?

Well, a Jesus that does not reflect the truly awe-some, powerful and holy nature of God is a Jesus that is diminished and open to being made in our own image.

And, a Christ that is somehow perceived as above and beyond us, remote in his divinity is a messiah that is not one of us, a brother who took on flesh to live among us and show us how to become fully human.

Peter was often confused (one reason so many of us can identify with him and are encouraged by his struggles) but he got this one right. “Jesus, you are the Messiah.” “Jesus, you are the long-awaited Lord and savior of our people.” Now, of course at the time, he had no clear idea of what all of that meant, although he was going to learn much later.

For me, one who believes this narrative to be the most true thing in all of existence, he is Jesus, who is who he claims to be, born of a woman while also the Son of God, arrived to take upon all of mankind’s sins and to, ultimately, usher in a new creation where we are invited to spend eternity in God’s holy presence. He is Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. His name is also Emmanuel which means God with us. To sing Emmanuel is to use one word to make up for two and to give a clear picture of who this person was and is.

One of my regrets (and I have plenty) is that I did not realize this sooner, if for no other reason than how much offense I must have given to others by doing something we commonly know as “taking the Lord’s name in vain.” Sharply and loudly exclaiming “Jesus Christ!” is perhaps the most common expletive or profanity in use today. It’s used in regular conversation and is all over the movies and TV. It is expressed without thought, but merely as severe exasperation or anger. To those who revere him, this comes as a kind of gut punch, regardless of motive. How would any of us feel if ones we truly love were debased in thoughtless manner?

We all know that, purportedly, God shared ten principals for behavior that he trusted Moses would deliver to the Hebrew people. These “commandments” are both admonishments and guidelines so the people who believed in him would know both who he is and the best way to lead their lives. Jesus sort of updated them through his teaching and example, peeling them back until he arrived at the core, which was two rules, upon which all other principles and values would build: Love God with everything and love one another with everything. Of course, we naturally feel overwhelmed by the enormity of such a condition but that’s ok, because of this thing called Grace. By surrendering into the truth of this condition and seeking both help and forgiveness, we are pulled further into the Will of God and towards becoming the types of people Jesus leads us to be.

So, what do these things have in common? Well, if we think the narrative I build all of these reflections around is just plain wrong or a fantasy, then using Jesus Christ as an expletive is meaningless to the issuer, while perhaps being extremely offensive to a listener, similar to a black person receiving the word “nigger” or a Jew the word, “kike.” I did not know this but know it now. I regret the offenses I have caused.

If, however, the narrative is true, then I fear how it is being received by the one whose name is being used so callously. In other words, if the narrative is true and loving God is the biggest deal of all, then this is tantamount to us defiling those closest to us, times ten.

When we use a name, we present a picture of a person or thing. Name-calling or bullying as it’s known, is defeating, a rejection of one’s value. It’s a coarsening that treats people as remote objects, usually in order to promote or call attention to one’s self as a compensatory mechanism. To be profane is to treat with irreverence or disrespect. We are descending into a culture of the profane and it’s called normal.

The God I know says, “don’t do this. There’s a better way. Rise up, open your eyes and see people as I see them.” The God I know says “the tongue can be a most potent weapon and we should watch how we use it.”

What’s in a name? Well, it can be a throw away. A meaningless reference. Or it can be a window into something immensely deep and rewarding.

With Jesus, what’s it going to be?

I could end this here and, maybe, readers who don’t share my strong views on this can leave it at that. Here’s where I go full tilt, to borrow a phrase. As in, “all in.”

There’s a song that is especially compelling. We sang it recently. It about sums it up. It’s entitled, “What a Beautiful Name.” The group Hillsong, one of my favorites, does a live rendition that expresses my feelings almost exactly. They not only speak what I believe when all is said and done, they do so with an exuberance that mirrors my own. Yes, I can rest in solitude and reflect in quiet wonder. But, I can also stand tall, arms wide open and shout with joy. Can’t help it!

Not for everyone, assuredly. Watch it at your own risk.