“A rose by any other name is still a rose..”
Act II, Scene II, Romeo and Juliet, Wm. Shakespeare
This famous scene has Juliet asking Romeo if his is willing to cast aside his name, being a Montague for her love; “O, be some other name!”
Romeo agrees, “I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.”
What is in a name? More than we sometimes realize.
Today we honor the wonderful name of Jesus, a name that brings us forgiveness for our wrongs (Acts 10:43), physical healing (Acts 3:6 and 16) and blessings (Matt 5). His name sends demons fleeing (Luke 10:17), and is a prayer unto itself as author Peter Kreeft will tell us:
Jesus – The Shortest, Simplest Prayer
On this feast day we are told,
“..So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”, Phil. 2:10-11
We can bring about a simple act of adoration if we begin to bow our heads at His Holy Name, wether in church or at Wal-Mart; when it said as a prayer but especially as a curse. What small difference might be made if we just bow our heads every time we hear His name and ask our children to do the same? Might it spark a change, begin a revolution or pass unnoticed? It doesn’t matter really but we have done our part to remember that His name above all others has brought salvation to the world.
What A Beautiful Name It is…Hillsong United
