What does it mean to take God’s name in vain? It’s one of the ten commandments, the basic rules of Christianity. What does it mean?
I grew up thinking it was mainly about using God’s name as a swear word. Don’t say “OMG” or use Jesus Christ as an expletive when you stub your toe. And I still don’t like those uses of their names. I love and respect God and His son.
But as I’ve gotten older, taking God’s name in vain has taken on a new meaning for me. When do we “take” God’s name? We take the Savior’s name upon us when we’re baptized.
When we were baptized, we entered into a covenant with God. We promised to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, always remember Him, keep His commandments, and serve Him to the end.
The Book of Mormon goes further into the baptismal covenant. We promise to mourn with those that mourn and bear one another’s burdens.
And then every single Sunday of our lives, we renew those covenants when we take the sacrament. Every. Sunday. So we remember what it means to take the name of Christ.
It seems to me that if we’re baptized and take His name and then choose not to live a loving and compassionate life and sincerely attempt to obey his commandments, we took His name but it was in vain. And if we use His name as a weapon to condemn, marginalize, or harm His children, that’s taking His name in vain on steroids.
I only get involved in political discourse when I feel like I don’t have the luxury of staying quiet. And that has been way more often than I like since 2016.
You know that feeling you get in your chest when you’re sitting in fast and testimony meeting and you know you need to get up and share what you believe? I have that right now.
Which seems like a weird feeling to have about politics. But the current political situation in the United States feels very much entangled with my testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel. I have spent my life trying to get to know Jesus, who He is, what He did, what He stands for, what He expects of me.
I have been taught for 46 years by men and women who love Him and sincerely and give their lives in His service. And if I had had to boil His gospel down into one word, that word would have to be “Love”. It is the great the commandment. It is the thread that links everything Christ did and everything He is.
How then can I respect an entire political movement that has appropriated His name and mission to do horrible things that don’t in anyway resemble the teachings of Jesus?
They wear large crosses while talking about people in dehumanizing ways.
They use teargas on peaceful protestors so they can have a photo op at a church while being showing no love for or understanding of the Bible he is holding.
They print their own version of the bible and sell it to make money.
They glorify his name when they are confirmed as the most unqualified defense secretary in US history. But they have multiple wives whom they’ve cheated on and credible accusations of abuse and sexual assault by multiple women.
They consider it radical to preach about love and mercy for vulnerable people in a Christian church, some calling for her deportation.
This is just a small sampling of ways the political right in the US is screaming from the rooftops that they are the party of Jesus Christ, while doing the opposite of what he teaches. Where is the love, the mercy, the compassion?
This is taking the Lord’s name in vain.