“. . . I say unto you, swear not at all. . . ‘

The Second Commandment expressly forbids the taking of God’s name in vain, or in other words, giving a false oath. But the Jews go further. Out of a show of respect, devout Jews never write or say aloud the true name of God. Instead, God is identified by symbols (YHWH) and by other names such as Adonia, Hashem or Elohim, with the choice of words depending on the context in which they are used.

Yet, in a Middle Eastern bazaar, where bargaining is an art form, where nothing has a fixed price and where everything is negotiable, an occasional slip of the tongue might be heard.

In the heated dickering, haggling and wringing of hands, a merchant might have said something he regretted. He might have said it within earshot of Jesus. I imagine that is when Jesus turned to His disciples with a pained look on His face and said, “Swear not at all.”

To take God’s name lightly is to besmirch His reputation.

Our name connotes who we are, our family, our heritage, even our faith. The first thing we ask when we meet someone is, “What’s your name?” Anyone who has been the victim of identity theft knows how it feels to have your name blackened, your character challenged. It’s your worst nightmare and you can’t wake up. Month after month, you live under a cloud of suspicion, your honesty and integrity always in question. You apply for a credit card only to be denied. Debt collectors call your home at all hours. You’re turned down for one job after another. An impostor has hijacked your reputation.

God must feel the same way when we misuse His name. Cursing, swearing and profanity are all forms of identity theft. But, in this case, God runs the credit bureau.

Tune into any network TV show these days and you’re liable to hear language that is coarse, vulgar and profane. The talking heads on TV aggressively shout at one another, interrupt and rudely proclaim they have a right to be heard. Such public discourse breeds a culture of disrespect. Kids see adults talking that way and quickly mimic their behavior. They insult one another, mouth expletives, talk back to teachers. They lose respect for authority figures.

The TV codes that were introduced in 1996 have done little to stop the taking of God’s name in vain.

But the good news is that very television is now equipped with a V chip that can be used to block objectionable programming. Or, if you're about as tech savvy as I am, you can simply decide what is acceptable programming in your home.