Yasmina:
Theologically speaking, is there any problem for a
Christian not to pray in Jesus’ name? In other words, cannot a Christian—like
a Jew or a Muslim—pray authentically in the name of God?
Grace:
The short answer to that question is “Yes,
absolutely!” That is why I have no hesitation when praying in interfaith settings
by saying, “In Your Most Holy Name we pray.” Christians, like Jews and Muslims,
believe in One God and that God is One.
Trinitarian Christians believe that God is expressed in three
“persons”—or in three ways—as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. We believe that the nature of God is most fully revealed
in the person of Jesus Christ—that
is, in Jesus, human and divine are completely united. Because we look to Jesus as “the Way” for
humans to know the fullness of God, we often conclude our prayers in Jesus’
name. The phrasing is not intended to be
exclusionary, but how can it sound otherwise to a non-Christian? When I pray
publicly in God’s name and omit Jesus’ name, I do so not because I fear
offending others, but because I wish to express my belief that we are all children
of God and that God’s great love extends to all—without limit, without
condition and without exception.
Yasmina:
Grace, I thank you for
your heartfelt explanation. I appreciate sensitive people like you
who are aware of the beliefs of their audience. The reason why Muslims would
feel uncomfortable if prayers are concluded in Jesus’ name is not because they
do not believe in him, but because they do not consider him as divine. That
word is reserved for God alone. It might surprise some Christians to know that
Jesus [Peace and Blessings be upon him] is an honored prophet in Islam. Both
his birth and the birth of his mother Mary [Peace and Blessings be upon her] are
beautifully captured in the Quran. Beloved to Muslims, both are considered examples
of righteousness and uprightness. Having
said that, they are considered human, and praying to them is therefore not
appropriate in Islam.
Tziporah:
While I was eavesdropping
on your conversation, my thoughts wandered to a volunteer luncheon I attended
some years ago at an interfaith-based charity. We all bent our heads as the
Pastor led us in the grace before the meal.
He quoted from psalms and blessed the work of the volunteers’ hands, and
then he concluded by saying, “in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.” I
felt unable to respond “Amen,” because the word “amen” comes from the Hebrew
root “believe,” and Jews do not believe Jesus to be the Christ (messiah). I
remember feeling frustrated, since I agreed with the sentiment of his prayer
and wished to respond. I don’t think that he intended to exclude anyone from his prayers—he must have been unaware
of the presence of those who do not accept Jesus’ divinity. I wish I had been in possession then of
Grace’s lucid explanation of why Christians pray in this manner. The Pastor’s words authentically expressed
the prayer from his heart. Distracted by my own emotions, I may have missed the
depth of emotion he was sharing with us.
