JESUS CHRIST!
- Mary Wojciechowski
- 23 hours ago
- 3 min read
Jesus Christ. This is the English version of a name that holds great power. This name is one of the most sacred utterances in the world. Unfortunately, it also happens to be one of the most foul. Of all the curse words modern American English has come up with, one of the most offensive is this one. Jesus Christ. We hear it screamed in anger, spat out in disgust, and muttered in petty frustration. This name has become a common curse word. This name, which to me signifies selfless love, had become a name that had the power to wound me.
I get it. I understand the desire to use words to express sudden, unexpected pain or anger. We all get frustrated. We all get angry. We all get blindsided by life. We all feel the need to use a well-placed curse word once in a while, whether that word be as ugly as the f-word or as innocuous as “horse feathers!” There are scads of swear words that can do the trick. “Dagnabit!” “Zoinks!” Or one my cousin likes to use, “What the wax?!” These are just a few of the tamer ones. I’ve let a few curse words slip in frustration or pain now and then. It’s a part of life. It’s a part of learning the power of our words.
But among the long list of curse words that the world utters daily, the name of Jesus Christ is different. Jesus is sacred. Jesus is a real person to many who believe in him, including myself. No matter how mystical or spiritual my beliefs have become, Jesus Christ is and always will be the name of my personal savior. And up until recently, it was a name that I unknowingly held in a state of inner turmoil. It always offended me deeply to hear the name that carries the power of the divinity used in a way to convey profanity. Deep down inside, I realized the name had begun to carry an echo of all those painful utterances and angry expletives I had heard over the years. It was as if I had given all those angry unbelievers the power to tear down the name I love. And in my own mind, it had become a struggle to keep this name far away from the taint of unholiness.
I know many people use the name Yeshua, which sidesteps the whole problem, but I know him as Jesus. And today, I am taking this name back. Today, I reclaim this name as synonymous with purity and holiness, no matter how it is used. Today, I declare that no one’s anger, no matter how foul, has the power to sully or stain the name of my savior. Today, I redefine, in my own mind, the power and promise of this name.
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ!
JESUS CHRIST!
The name of Jesus Christ is beautiful. The name of Jesus Christ is powerful. The name of Jesus Christ is divine. And today, I say the name of “Jesus Christ” in trust, love, and faith. For every time, I have ever heard it used in an ugly way, I say “Jesus Christ,” with love in my heart. For every time someone thought they were swearing, I say “Jesus Christ” with a prayer on my lips. Jesus Christ is the name that represents all names. We are all included in the body of Christ. So, for every time anyone has ever heard their own name spoken in anger, I say “Jesus Christ” with sweetness.
So, my dear friends, go ahead. I dare you. Say “Jesus Christ!” And when you do, I pray that he comes to you and loves you and heals you. All it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed. The blood of Jesus Christ is just the beginning. The love he preached and the life he offers is waiting on the other side of anger, hate, and disbelief. No matter what your truth may be, no matter what his name represents to you, Jesus Christ is a gift for all of us. His teachings are redemptive. His love is universal. And the name of Jesus Christ means nothing less than forgiveness, purity, and peace, every time it is said, by anyone.
Jesus Christ, I love you. I thank you.
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