A great leader once said that a person’s intelligence is not measured by the statements they make but by the quality of the questions they ask. Another piece of wisdom, this one taken from the Bible, says that in all our getting, we should get understanding. I like to understand things. It’s not really because there is something in me that wants to know everything but, instead, I tell myself that if I pursue anything with real understanding of what it is I’m dealing with and what I’m getting myself into, I will do it with greater passion and I will last through it, even when challenges and adversity come.
Speaking then of understanding, one of the most frequently misunderstood but most used words when it comes to faith and religion, is holiness. When we really look at it, what does it mean to be holy? What’s interesting is that it is a word that seems to carry positive meaning for some, and a negative connotation for others. I’m sure we’ve heard it said about somebody, “That guy has such a holier than thou attitude. He thinks he’s better than the rest of us.” Why would a word which, for some, is all about goodness, carry such negativity to the extent that it even becomes a term of derision? The answer lies in understanding some key things about holiness that are often not dealt with.
The theological site Tektonics (tektonics.org), gives a simple but very useful definition:
“The word ‘holy’ has taken quite a semantic beating through such sayings as being stuck up (‘holier than thou’) and pedantic usage in popular culture (‘Holy Socks, Batman!’). Popularly we may suppose that ‘holy’ means ‘morally good’.
This is only part of the meaning, however. Holiness implies goodness, but goodness is an interactive part of holiness. If we may sum up the core meaning of holiness, it is not ‘good’ but rather ‘set apart’ — and therefore, good.
The concept of holiness may be related to the concept of purity, which we have previously studied here: In ancient societies, purity codes ‘are a way of talking about what is proper for a certain place and a certain time’ and involve ‘drawing the lines that give definition to the world around us…’
Holiness is itself a drawing of a boundary, around that which is uniquely associated with God.”
So, it’s clear then isn’t just about being good. There is an aspect of it – a very important aspect, actually – that is to do with making a decision to swim against the current, as it were. It then makes sense why a person who makes a decision to live differently would run the risk of being mocked. That’s just how people are. If they don’t see you fit in and do what you want them to do the way they do it, they will have a problem with it.
In the end, how are we defining holiness here? We are saying “yes, it’s about being good but, essentially, it’s about being different”. When the world culture says it’s OK to disrespect others and be profane, you choose respect and decency. You can be holy. It’s not a far-fetched, pie in the sky idea but it’s practical and it’s real life. Click on the banner below if you have questions about these and other matters or if you want to connect with the God who can show us how to be holy.