Saturday, May 16, 2020

What's in a name?



"What's in a name?  That which we call a rose
  By any other name would smell as sweet."
So says Juliet to Romeo, Act 2, Scene 2.
That which we call God by any other name would be as loving and merciful and powerful.  I thought of this today while I was meditating on the remainder of Isaiah 55:1-11.  God tells Israel that they will attract to Yahweh nations whom they don't know.  Isaiah seems to be saying that all nations will embrace Israel's religion, but he tells us to "seek Yahweh."  We must always be on a quest for the living God.
Israel had many names for God.  We might name God "Love" or "Beauty."  Other religions have their names for God.  But it is the same God.  If we have trouble with this idea, we hear God warn us, "As high as the heavens are above the earth, so are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts."  We are back again with Mystery.  God can never be captured completely by our concepts and our words.

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