Editorial January 13, 1923 Issue

His Hallowed Name

Ella W. Hoag

All Christians long to see God's name universally hallowed. Only to the one infinite God is due the worship which they love to express in holding His name as holy. The command, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain," has resounded down the ages, admonishing men as to the importance and value of reverencing God's name. Since the beginning of time men have seen the propriety of setting apart whatever name they have used to designate Deity. In confirmation of this we have the word "God," when used with a capital, accepted to-day by countless millions as referring only to "the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy."

Men have been taught so generally not to misuse the term "God" that any who may have taken it upon their lips lightly or irreverently have been considered as little else than heathen. The desire to hallow the name of God has increased as men have learned more and more what that name stands for. The prophets loved to sing the praises of His name, magnifying it with all the power and graciousness they knew how to express. Then Jesus came teaching us to know God as our loving Father and encouraging us to pray, "Hallowed be thy name." Jesus also tells us that God is Spirit; and John defines Him as Love.

All this has helped men to understand how to hallow God's name; how to set apart the terms defining His nature in a way to lift their understanding of Him into a more and more exalted realm, where His name should stand forever alone and without an equal. Men have thus reached out for a clearer perception of the nature of God, in order that they might love Him better, give to Him all honor, worship Him more truly; while through it all they have hoped to find their own unity with Him. In fulfillment of this desire Christian Science has come with its illuminating teaching concerning God and man, showing more plainly than ever before the necessity of hallowing God's name if one is to gain the correct knowledge of Him and of man's relationship to Him.

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