Bible Reading: 1 John 4:2-3
Several years ago I was asked by another minister if I had ever been invited to pray at a government meeting. I answered that I had received such invitations on several occasions. He then asked if I had a problem being prohibited from praying at such meetings in Jesus’ name. I told him, much to his surprise, I had no problem with it whatsoever. I explained, however, that the reason I had no problem with such invitations was because I turned them all down. Furthermore, I went on to explain how I always made it a point to tell the person who invited me that I had no interest in coming to their meeting to play at prayer, but would be more than willing to come in the future if they ever got serious enough about prayer to pray in Jesus’ name. Until then, there was no sense in me wasting my time by attending their meeting or for them to open their meeting with the pretense of prayer.
Have you ever noticed that it is “the separation of church and state†that our government insists upon, not the separation of: (1) mosque and state (2) synagogue and state (3) temple and state (4) coven and state (5) commune and state, or (6) cult and state? Have you ever noticed that it is only the Bible and prayer that have been expelled from our public schools, not Islam or yoga? Why do public schools only object to Jesus’ name being spoken in prayer, but not in profanity? And why do public schools have no problem with Jesus’ name being spoken in vain, but only when it is spoken in reverence?
Why is no one offended by being wished a “Happy Hanukah?†Why is no one offended by being wished a “Happy Quwanza?†Why is no one offended by being wished a “Happy Ramadan?†Why is it that the only offensive holiday greeting is “Merry Christmas?â€
Why is the name of Jesus the most explosive name in the world? Why does government exclusively prohibit the mention of Jesus’ name? Why is the name of Jesus the only name expelled from our public schools? Why is it that no other name spoken in public arouses such public protest? Truly, as Bill Gaither wrote, “There’s Something Abut That Name.â€
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
There’s just something about that name
Master, Savior, Jesus
Like the fragrance after the rain
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Let all Heaven and earth proclaim
Kings and kingdom shall pass away
But there’s something about that name.