By Steven Norris
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare’s love-struck Juliet utters. “That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.” For many of us, our names have significance that derive from family name, someone significant (friend, president, national hero), a biblical name, or even a prayer for the new babe (Faith, Hope, Charity, Grace).
The ancient Hebrews thought that names did more than just identify someone or something; they described something about the very essence of a person. Often, when a significant event or turning point happened in a person’s life, their name was changed because their fundamental character and identity had changed as well.
For example, Abram (“exalted father”) became Abraham (“Father of many nations”). Jacob (“trickster” or “deceiver”) became Israel (“One who wrestles/strives with God”). Simon became Peter; Saul became Paul.
What is God’s name, and what does it mean to “hallow” it? “Hallowed” is not a word used often, unless it is in the context of Halloween. It means simply “to make holy” or “to sanctify.” Therefore, we might translate the prayer, “Our Father in the heavens, may your name be holy.” Here, he is echoing one of the Ten Commandments, which instructs the faithful not to take the Lord’s name in vain.
Such holiness extends to the person of Jesus. In Acts 4, Peter’s speech before the religious leaders emphasizes the power of Jesus’ name to effect healing and that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he states that it was God’s pleasure to exalt Christ so that his name would illicit worship and reverence.
The early believers were referred to mockingly as “Christians,” meaning “little Christs.” We keep God’s name holy by what we attach to it (or not). When the lives of Christians don’t look any different from the world around us, we are not keeping God’s name holy. When we are stingy with our resources and fail to reflect the generosity of God, we fail to keep God’s name holy. When we live disintegrated and compartmentalized lives — being one person on Sunday and a different one Monday through Saturday — we are not hallowing God’s name. God’s name is taken in vain when politicians use it merely to garner favor from a specific voting block. God’s name is taken in vain when it is invoked toward selfish ends.
By contrast, God’s name is hallowed when we affirm the inherent value and worth of all people created in God’s image. God’s name is hallowed when the character of the church reflects the expansive love of the God who is worshipped there. God’s name is hallowed when there is insistence of the truth, no matter where it may lead.
The invitation to hallow God’s name is to recognize that there is more going on in the world than we can see with our human eyes. It is about being led by a different set of values than the ones adopted by popular culture. It is to hear and respond to the invitation of God: “Be holy as I am holy.”