Blasphemy has become commonplace today. Today we have the deplorable situation that movies are age-restricted for bad language, but kids cartoons, like the recent "Megamind" has repeated "Oh my God" exclamations. And in sms speak it is a standardised abbreviation: OMG.
I often am tempted to turn to people who are always saying "Oh my God" and ask them "Oh wow! Please tell me about YOUR God..."
But before we get too carried away about the complexities of the use of "(G)god" by people who are often functional and even practical atheists, it may be helpful to consider the deeper issues:
In Hebrew thinking, a name was a powerful thing - it encapsulated who you were. This is why it is important that Jacob (which means "deceiver" and "manipulator") is renamed Israel (which means "he struggles with God")
When God revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush with a name that our scholars best represent as "Yahweh" (Old translations used "Jehovah" while modern translations use "LORD" (all capitals)) It was a significant moment. Yahweh means "I am" - eternal, eternally the same, eternally present, all powerful, all present and all knowing.
The commandment to use His name with care is about ensuring that we don't lose sight of who He is. The commandment is to protect us:
- If we repeat His name endlessly and thoughtlessly we lose respect for Him.
- If we say His name in ways that associate Him with things that are not His nature. For example, when we use His name in anger, we connect our picture of Him with petty human rage instead of divine justice.
- If we thank "the big guy upstairs" for helping us win the tennis game or the soccer match, we may well be creating the impression that He has been reduced to being a "divine vending machine" that dishes out blessings on demand.
- Even wearing a Christian T-shirt or having a bumper sticker on the car and then setting a bad example boils down to bringing God's name into disrepute.
- So, in summary, many people are concerned about blasphemy "out there" amongst those who don't really believe. I am much more concerned about the blasphemy of Christians who don't use God's name well.
So a pastor was doing children's story and he asked them: "I'm thinking about something small and brown that stores up nuts for the winter.... what is it?"
A little boy answered "Pastor, I know the answer is Jeeesus, but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me!"
May we portray Him better than that!
---
