There's a Name for That

Spirituality Column #185
May 25, 2010
Current in Carmel - Current in Westfield - Current in Noblesville
(Indianapolis north suburban home newspapers)

There’s a Name for That
By Bob Walters

Public schools have pesky problems navigating the narrow straits of political correctness at graduation time.

Of course, we celebrate the accomplishment of education. But even though modern society is convulsed by crediting anything other than individual, human achievement, most of us feel a need deep in our souls to be thankful and hopeful in a community, spiritual, meaningful kind of a way.

That leaves us with the problem …

How do we thank the author of all knowledge for our … knowledge?

“Who is that author?” you ask. Well, here it is. And please duck …
The author of all knowledge is Jesus Christ.

Christ is the Way and the Truth and the Life. He is Knowledge. He gave us the Breath of Life. He gave us our Creativity. Genesis, John and a whole bunch of other places in the Bible make that very plain.

Inasmuch as God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit constitute the Godhead, it’s a “technicality” to complain about the absence of the name of Jesus Christ from our public celebrations of knowledge. “God” covers it. But, c’mon. We achieve what it takes to graduate and are still dumb enough to think that we can fool God? Please.

It is plenty tough most places to slip in a nod to “God” in a generic quasi-prayer at a public commencement. In PC-run-amuck settings, a clever student body might sneeze in unison and have the valedictory speaker say, “God bless you!”

In more forgiving settings, like a baccalaureate, we might hear The Lord’s Prayer. “Our Father” and “Lord” are code words for God and Jesus Christ, and “Kingdom” can refer to all kinds of things without cluttering up the ceremony by praying specifically and out loud for “the reign of God.” The Lord’s Prayer is from Jesus (Matthew 6:9-13) but, whew! … you don’t actually have to say “Jesus.”

Or, just sing Christ’s praises in Latin. It’s pretty, and nobody knows.

Fact is there is true, divine, Godly power in the name of Jesus Christ. And the name of Jesus Christ causes trouble and persecution. The world hates Him, and I think that’s because Christ has true power many of us think our knowledge alone provides.

Our graduations teach: “Don’t pray; but if you do, don’t you dare mean it.”

That’s what it means when we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. We mean it.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) believes it is natural to thank God. Praying “Thank God school’s over” isn’t really thanking God.