Clergy from left, Pastor Mary Ann Hill, Pastor Nicolé Ferry, Deacon Cynthia Biddlecomb, retired; Associate Priest Lynn Finnegan and Pastor Deb Church. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com

By Rev. Deb Beloved Church
White Rock Presbyterian Church

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain…” (Exodus 20:7a, King James Version)

I suspect that many people, Christian or otherwise, are familiar with this commandment (#3 in God’s top 10; cf. Exodus 20:1-17). Or as a more modern translation (the New International Version) puts it, “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God…”

Perhaps others think of that commandment much like I have for most of my life–i.e., equating the taking of God’s name in vain, the misusing of God’s name, with swearing. Saying “bad words.” Using some version of God’s name as an expletive in moments when I and other well-mannered, good, Christian people might instead say something like, “Gosh darn it!” or “Jeez Louise!”

I even remember hearing my kids say, “Oh my God!” when they were younger, and occasionally responding with something like, “Is that the beginning of a prayer? Is that why you’re using God’s name?” Yep. Really.

That has been my default understanding of taking God’s name in vain, of misusing God’s name.

And I have been pretty judgy about people who used such language–How awful! How disrespectful! I would never!

It strikes me that–until fairly recently–I’ve been far less upset about far more awful ways of misusing God’s name, that plenty of “well-mannered, good, Christian people” have done and continue to do…

Things like using God’s name as the basis for excluding people from God’s love and mercy and/or condemning people to eternal damnation, whether because of sexual orientation or gender identity, racial or ethnic heritage, political or religious affiliation, or any.other.thing (as if God would ever permanently turn God’s back on any of God’s children).

Things like using God’s name to justify violence, war, cruelty, or hatred of any sort (as if God would ever condone such behavior).

Things like using God’s name to exert dominance or control, or to justify discrimination or oppression, or to excuse abuses of power (as if that’s how God works or what God longs for!).

I could go on. There have been and continue to be so many truly terrible, destructive occasions of the misuse of God’s name, of the taking of God’s name “in vain.”

And yes, those occasions should be upsetting to us (note to self: they should be more upsetting than the issue of someone’s expletive of choice). But more than that, we who claim to follow a God of Love, who claim to be a disciple of the Love of God as embodied in Jesus Christ, must commit to use God’s name for good. Deliberately. Intentionally. Out loud and with abandon!

We must invoke the name of God in our calls for and work for peace, in our calls for and work for healing and reconciliation, in our calls for and work for justice, in our calls for and work for an ever-expanding Kin-dom of God, inclusive of all of God’s children and all of God’s creation!

Let’s be among those who use God’s name, in any of its forms, to promote Love, in all of its forms. This time and this place and this world in which we live are in desperate need.

Editor’s note: ‘All Shall Be Well’ is a column written by local women clergy including ELCA Deacon Cynthia Biddlecomb, M.Div., retired (czoebidd@gmail.com); Pastor Nicolé Ferry, Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church (pastornicole@bethluth.com); Associate Priest Lynn Finnegan, The Episcopal Church of the Holy Faith, Santa Fe (rev.lynn@holyfaithchurchsf.org); Pastor Deb Church, White Rock Presbyterian Church (pastor@wrpchurch.com) and The Rev. Mary Ann Hill, Rector, Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church (momaryannhill@gmail.com).