Words, words, words, words. . .

Lord, Christ, Messiah, Savior.

 

I know that I rant about words a lot. In fact, I had to have a(nother) conversation with my wife the other night and try to explain why I tend to nit pick over our use of words – especially as disciples of Jesus. Admittedly I too, being nowhere near perfect tend to use words like this . . . sometimes incorrectly as well.

These four words have recently climbed toward the top of my "All time most irritating words" list. Why??? Yup, paint me the heretic – they are officially irritating.

These words are good words, great words, words descriptive of the one who would save the Jewish people, and indeed all man kind from death, forever. But these are words (and forgive me those of you who are staunch lovers of that largely lost and archaic language that is "Old English" – which consequently is NOT the language that was used in Jerusalem or Israel at the time of Jesus, or at any time really, but was used by an English King to attempt to unite people some years later – making it no more Holy or special or necessary correct than any other language that the Bible has been translated into) that have no real value outside of the church. Then again, I take it back, at least two can be found in Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and a handful of other modern movies.

My beef with these words is that over time and overuse they have been usurped of their true meanings. Like using your favorite toy for too long, it loses its grandeur. That and we have no real bearing on what a "Lord" or "Savior" is anymore, and we non Jewish folk have never had any real attachment to Messiah and Christ outside of the Church. I look throughout the history of God's relationship with man and there are soooooo many names that God uses for himself. Names that make God a personal god to the people with whom he is relating directly. The "I Am", the "Alpha and Omega", and so on.

Perhaps they are just nicknames like we have for one another? Regardless, they are personal, something that we largely lack with God now-a-days. I can live with "God", and I can live with "Jesus", but beyond that I think that I am at a place where I would love to see God known by a personal name again. There would be some of the proof positive that we are still in God and He in us, at least for me!!!!!