For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. Luke 1:49 (NKJV)
The Name of God – The Wonder and Grace Series – Part 3
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7
“Just as it happened to Manoah and his wife in the book of Judges, an Angel appeared to a young woman named Mary and told her that she would have a child who would save the world. After this incredible, confusing, strange, exhilarating experience, 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 and 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 it in secret, alone in the dark, in the midst of pain and heartache.
Have you ever stopped to think about what that means?
In Judges 13, the Angel told Manoah and his wife that their miracle child would save their people from the Philistines. Manoah asked the angel what his name was, to which the Angel replied:
“You ask for my name? You wouldn’t understand—it’s sheer wonder.” (Judges 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. Shakespeare.
Is it the ‘name’ of Jesus that holds all his power? If he was called something else, would he be as majestic, wonderful and miraculous? I am myself apart from my name. Is it my name that influences who I am? When Mary and Manoah called God ‘holy,’ they weren’t labelling him, they were un-labelling 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 to see the expansiveness and wonder of God beyond my constructs, filters, and experiences.
For me, even labelling God male and calling him a “He” diminishes his strong femininity. God is beyond gender. And her female qualities and characteristics are vibrant and robust.
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, lost amongst our lives and circumstances. We use it as a label or a box; a word that signifies a certain definition. A box that we put the holy into, and expect it to fit.
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.
The Divine 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 – Sheer Wonder »
Written by Lizzy Milani
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