For years Tom and Bob had been friends and worked as colleagues in the same business. As time passed Tom found he was getting more infuriated by Bob's increasing habit of taking the Lord's name in vain. It got on, his nerves. He felt he should wait for an opportunity to let Bob know about it. So one day when they were chatting about their homes families and particularly about their mothers, Tom saw it was a good moment to speak.
After listening to Bob's glowing tribute to his mother, and how her name was sacred to him, he said to Bob. What is your mother's name?" Bob replied: "My mother's name is Rose." Shortly after that conversation Bob was. at first surprised, then annoyed, and later very angry, because Tom kept saying the name Rose every time he was "het up" - (different to his usual outbursts of more colourful language!) So he "tackled" Tom - "How dare you make little of my dear mother by using her name in that disrespectful way!"
As Tom replied to Bob he gave him a wise and kindly look: "I apologise for showing lack of respect to your mother and using her name in a way hurtful to you. I wanted to bring home to you how hurt believers in God can be when people (maybe unthinkingly) persist in taking their Lord's name in vain. Believers resent flippant use of the name of their best friend and divine king of whom they like to sing:
There is a Name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth,
It sounds like music in mine ear,
The sweetest Name on earth.
There are ways of discouraging a flippant or wrongful use, or the "taking of the Lord's name in vain". In, the story quoted above Tom's wise and gentle approach to his colleague was effective. Indeed Bob thanked him.
Prayer is, effective in developing a more vivid awareness, of the ever present risen Christ. Of course music and art can assist in producing an atmosphere that speaks of God's presence. There is a picture in St, Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, which shows the interior of the cathedral and the light of Christ's presence watching over the two or three persons met for prayer.
In Christ's coming to His disciples, and to people down the years in joys, sorrows and experiences, there are endless accounts of people becoming, aware of Him. After such experiences impolite reference to His name is unthinkable. An awareness can, come as we try to obey His will in the quietness of the Eucharist.