Hallowed Be Thy Name

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name . . . " A modern version might read: “Father in heaven, your Name is sacred. Holy. Revered.”

I prefer to recite that first line of the Lord’s Prayer in modern terms. Doing so helps me focus on what I am really saying -- and how, therefore, I should be acting.

When the ancient Jewish scribes copied the Scriptures from parchment to parchment, they always stopped at the name of God, changed quills, changed their clothes and washed themselves before daring to write His Name. They considered His Name so holy, they wrote only a few of the letters of His Name.

"Hallowed, sacred and revered is Thy Name." How can I then use His Name in flippant conversation, or in a joke or as an expletive? How can I refer to Him as "the Man upstairs"?

As a Christian – a follower of Christ -- I bear His Name wherever I go. People who know of my faith have the right to associate His holy Name with me. More to the point, I might be the only reflection of His sacred Name they ever see.

And that ought to frighten me. It ought to frighten all of God’s children.

May God grant us a glimpse into His holiness, that it may inspire awe and a deep reverence for His Name. May He help us live lifestyles that reflect His holiness and sacredness, and never give others reason to mock or sneer at His Name.

Rnmaffeo@aol.com