Ursula Le Guin is no friend of Christianity. Yet when one of my daughters recently mentioned her account of dragons in A Wizard of Earthsea, I remembered how one aspect of Le Guin’s Earthsea fantasies touched my imagination. She suggests that the power of wizards is in their ability to discern the “true names” of things. By knowing the names of things one discovers their true power and gains some control over them. Thus the true names of human beings are often closely guarded secrets.
Le Guin’s fantasy about the power of names is not far from an attitude which appears in Scripture. Moses is given the true name of God, and Jacob’s question to “man” with whom he wrestles at Peniel is “Please tell me your name” (Genesis 32:29). As we move on in Acts this coming Sunday, we find that, like the name of God in the Old Testament, the name of Jesus takes on power and significance. In Acts 4:1-22, the Sanhedrin asks what name has been invoked for a lame man’s healing and Peter replies in verse 10 that it was “by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.”
What’s interesting is the perceived power of Jesus’ name, even by the Sanhedrin, whose main concern in verses 17 and 18 is to prevent further speaking “in this name.” But the apostles indirectly but clearly refuse to abide by the command not to speak in the name of Jesus, suggesting that their mandate to speak in this name is from God, and that “we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard,” in verse 20.
I wonder about our own courage as contemporary followers (and bearers!) of the name of Jesus Christ. One of my first public arena challenges as a pastor was an invitation to pray at the opening of the Nebraska legislature. I’m afraid that recognizing the pluralist/secular audience that I ended up offering my prayer “in Your holy name, Amen,” rather than with my usual invocation of the name of Jesus.
Courage to claim and speak the name of Jesus is also called for when we Christians are engaged in exactly the kind of activity in which Peter and John were engaged, doing good for others. They were entirely ready to let everyone, including the authorities, know that they did what they did in the name of Jesus. I wonder how often the good we do, whether in health care or compassion toward the poor or in advocating for justice, is as courageously and clearly identified as work done in the name of Jesus.
Of course, if we are going to boldly declare the name of Jesus over what we do, then what we do must be consistent with that name. That’s the gist, I think, of the Gospel reading for this Sunday, Luke 10:25-37, the parable of the Good Samaritan. We cannot be people of faith only in name, without exhibiting the serving love which is at the heart of the name of our Lord. If we really want to claim the name, then let us claim all that it entails.
ursula k. leguin (in a review highly praising the space trilogy) once described c.s. lewis as “a great hater.” i agree with her, though i don’t think that was all bad in his case.
you did right to pray as you did. to pray in jesus name suggests you are among a body of believers. from my anabaptist perspective the only thing you did wrong was agree to do the public prayer for them.. better to stay home and pray for the rascals in your study.