For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. Luke 1:49 (NKJV)
His Name is Sheer Wonder – Sheer Wonder Series – Part 3
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After the angel visited Mary and, like Manoah’s wife's experience, told her that she would have a child who would save the world, Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth and told her the news. She said, “What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.” (Luke 1:49 MSG).
Holy is his name.
We’ve sung it, prayed it, declared it… but what does it mean?
His name is above all else, higher than any other name.
Ever prayed that? I have. I’ve declared it and prayed it with microphone in hand. And I've whispered alone in the dark of my room and heartache.
Have you ever stopped to think about what that means?
In Judges 13, an angel visited Manoah and his wife and told them that they would have a child who would save their people from the Philistines. Manoah asked the angel his name, to which he replied, “You ask for my name? You wouldn’t understand—it’s sheer wonder.” (Jud 13:18 MSG).
“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name;
And for that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.”
– Juliet, Romeo and Juliet. Act II. Scene II.
Is it the ‘name' of Jesus that holds all his power? If he was called something else, would he retain the same power? I am me apart from my name. My name influences who I am, or is who I am that influences my name? When Mary and Manoah called God ‘holy,' they weren't labelling him… they were un-labeling him. They were taking out the definable and acknowledging the mystery and wonder of all that he is.
In the Hebraic Tradition, they were very careful not to say the name of God or write it down. It's still a part of their practice. The name of God was/is considered too holy and wonderful to say with words or to write down in letters. To say it or to write it would be like containing and defining it. And since God is indescribable and uncontainable, they didn’t/don’t want to counteract that understanding with language. I’ve come to appreciate and love this practice, it's helped me see the expansiveness and wonder of God beyond my constructs, filters and experiences.
I think for many of us, me first and foremost, the name of God just becomes like any other name. It blends into the background. Sometimes getting lost amongst our lives and circumstances. We use it as a label or a box; a word that signifies a certain definition.
But names are not labels. Certain names don't represent a certain political loyalty, or personality, or country, or ethnicity, or way of life… names are doorways. They’re windows. They are an invitation.
God is more than his name. His name is not a label or a definitive group of letters. His name is the doorway to sheer wonder, an invitation to the terrifying and glorious life that lies ready to be lived by you.
Go to Part 4 – The Wonder of God »
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Written by Liz Milani
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