So...should I say Your name in English or Hebrew?

     The discussion of whether to use Hebrew or English has been an interesting one.  I will say up front now that I don't have all the answers, and I don't want you to treat me like a "final word" on anything here today.  This post is comprised of my thoughts and not a prophetic utterance.
     The fact stands that most English-speaking Americans refer to God's Son as "Jesus" and "Christ."  But He was not called those English names when he walked the earth.  He was called "Yeshua" (or "Yehoshua") and "Messiah."
     Do you always have to refer to someone in their native language?  No.  As my little sister pointed out, some languages don't even have similar sounds.  The people there wouldn't even know how to reproduce your name on their lips.  Even my name, as simple as it is, sounds different when spoke by a Spanish-speaking person or a French-speaking person.  And I'm okay with that.
     Add to that concept, the fact that Jesus (Yeshua) specifically came for the whole world (John 3:16).  He is expected to cross all language and cultural barriers.  And He will do this more than any other person that ever lived.  So I don't believe that He minds the different pronunciations of His name.  Do I have a Scripture that says you can pronounce His name differently in different languages?  No.  But nor do I have one to the contrary.  
     That being said, I am capable of pronouncing (or attempting to pronounce) Yeshua.  There are sounds in my language that enable me to reproduce the name on my lips.  And I'm the kind of girl that likes to say people's names as close to the original as possible.  It is my way of reaching out to you -- I'll try to say your name right, even if you say you don't care.  So I am finding out that I really prefer to call Him Yeshua or Yehoshua.
     That being said, my little sister made another point that I agree with: who are you talking to?  When I am watching a 2-year-old or talking to a foreign-speaking person, I try to use their language as much as possible.  If I go play with Chelsea's 2-year-old, I may call Chelsea "mommy" because that is the name that her daughter knows her by.  If I am meeting with my sister's Nepali friends, I will refer to my little sister by her Nepali name...because that is the name that they know her by.  Because I think it is more important to direct them to the right person than to use the name that I think fits the best.
     So, here is my conclusion: on this blog, I may refer to the Son of God using different languages that all point to the same Person.  But, since it is my own blog and I do not know my audience yet, I will probably refer to Him by His Hebrew name most of the time.

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