Isaiah documented some of the darkest moments in the history of God’s people. Isaiah wrote plenty about blame and anger and pained anguish as the people of God were brought close to extinction. In the midst of describing this pain and anguish, Isaiah included today’s verses like a precious package containing a delicate treasure. Yes there’s anger and pain and despair, but Isaiah explained that still we can trust that God is our creator. God formed us, shaped us, and named us. And, Isaiah described, when times got tough, God liberated us. And finally, sitting at the heart of this passage is this beautiful assurance. God spoke to our hearts when God said, “You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.” Elsewhere, Isaiah described God as a mighty warrior. Isaiah painted a picture of God as full of wrath, punishing the people of Israel for their disobedience. But here, like a pearl of great price, Isaiah disclosed this beautiful truth: God has called us by name. And God has promised us that we are precious, honored, and loved.

Names tell us something about who we are and who claims us. Names identify the relationships in which we live. Our names place us within the stream of family and the bonds of love. I have a nephew whose name is Samuel Mark Williams. When he was born, my brother and sister-in-law wrote me a beautiful letter explaining that they gave him his middle name in honor of me, for the love and respect in which they hold me. I feel a connection with Sam because we share a name together. We have a bond that’s symbolized by the name that we share, just as each of our family names symbolize our relationships with those who’re important to us. Names are reflections of the relationships in which we live. The poet Sandra McPherson wrote a poem entitled, “Helen Todd, my birth name.” In her poem, McPherson wrote about being adopted. Her biological mother wrote the name “Helen Todd” on her birth certificate; then two days later her adopted parents renamed her “Sandra McPherson. In her poem, McPherson wondered how life might have been different, if she’d lived it as Helen Todd. Perhaps having a different name might have completely changed who she was. If Sandra McPherson had gone through life as Helen Todd, maybe she would’ve turned out to be someone quite different. Instead of being the poet Sandra McPherson, perhaps she might have turned out to be the math teacher Helen Todd. Names are powerful in shaping who we understand ourselves to be. Names tell us something about who we are and where we come from. Names tell us who claims us.

The gospel of John tells the story of when John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Jesus rose up out of the waters of the river, and the Holy Spirit like a dove floated down from the sky. And those present heard God’s voice claiming Jesus as God’s own beloved son, in whom God was well pleased. At his baptism, God claimed Jesus as God’s own precious child. In a similar way, Isaiah talked about God claiming each of us. Isaiah described God’s promises to raise us up out of the waters and to love and honor us. But Isaiah wasn’t referring to the waters of baptism. Isaiah described God raising us out of the waters of a river, so that the waters would not overwhelm us. Isaiah wasn’t talking about the gentle sprinkling of water like we do when we baptize. Isaiah talked about torrential rains that flood our spiritual basements and threaten our foundations. God promised to be with us, through the rivers that threaten to overcome us. The rivers of stress, of pain, of debt or addiction… these are more the waters that Isaiah was talking about. Just the same, God promised to walk with us and protect us when we walk through fire. God will remain with us when we walk through the fires of doubt and persecution. God will be there when we face the fires of violence and fear. God promised us that we would endure all hardship with God by our side. When we emerge from the waters of the raging river, we will not be overwhelmed. When we walk through fire we will not be burned. Because we are named and claimed by God, the creator of all things. We are precious in God’s sight, and God will see us through.

Love is a powerful tool of liberation. The act of loving is a prophesy against injustice. Love stands in opposition to cruelty and fear. God promises all of God’s people that we are loved, and in that love we are liberated. A Japanese American wrote once that it was painful for her to read this these verses in Isaiah. To be claimed and called by name as a precious child of God was especially poignant for her. Her family was detained in camps during World War II because they were of Japanese descent. Because of their name and skin color, they were rejected as the enemy. They were no longer treated as neighbors, friends, or citizens. Suddenly they were treated as if they no longer belonged, because they had the wrong last name. This Japanese American wrote that she identified with the Jews who, for centuries were run out of their countries, killed and humiliated, as strangers within the gates. The people of color in South Africa also lived for decades in this state of internal rejection. They were not at home in their own homeland. They were strangers in the very place they were born. Next weekend we’ll celebrate the memory and legacy of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., who held a vision of our society where all of us belong. King preached and taught and lived in the hope that we would one day see each other as people, as neighbors, as brothers and sisters before we ever recognized the color of each other’s skin. But three decades after the prophecies of Martin Luther King Jr., our society is still torn apart by bigotry. In the words of a poet named Simbayahu, “It all depends on the skin you’re living’ in.” Racism shapes our society, and it continues to shape our children. Racism, racist people, and racist beliefs continue to name us. Census takers want to know which box to check: black, white, Hispanic, Asian… It matters, because what it means to be an American all depends on the skin you’re living’ in. American history looks and feels different to different Americans. American history may be more about liberty and justice, or more about bigotry and disappointment. It all depends on the skin you’re living’ in. American children may have very different expectations about what their futures may hold. Some children may not be able to imagine the same opportunities that other children dream for themselves. It all depends on the skin your living’ in. But Isaiah says that God doesn’t care about what other people call us. God doesn’t take any notice of which boxes other people try to put us in. God calls us by our given name, the name written upon our hearts, the name that says that we’re precious in God’s sight.

Israel announced this week that they intend to repatriate about 18,000 Ethiopian Jews still living in Ethiopia. These Ethiopian Jews date their identity as Jews back to the time of King Solomon, probably over three thousand years ago. They’re very distantly related to the rest of the Jewish people who live today. But today these Ethiopian Jews face abject poverty and hunger to the point of starvation. So Israel is calling them all home. Israel announced that, “these are our people. We know them by name.” The Ethiopian Jews share much in common with the Jews that Isaiah wrote to. Homeless and rejected, God assured them that they were loved. Conquered and scorned, God assured them that they were known by name, and that God walked with them through all of their trials. Separated from their homeland, God promised them a homecoming filled with love and joy. There’s a country song by the group Alabama called, “Down Home.” The chorus of this song says, “Down Home, where they know you by name and they treat you like family. Down home, where a man’s good word and a handshake are all you need. Folks know if they’re falling on hard times, they can fall back home. Those of us raised up down home.” I think that’s the message of Isaiah for all people. Not just Jews, not just Christians, God knows us all by name, and God claims us all as family. And no matter how tough times get, we’re all promised that there’s a place for us. We always have a home in the loving embrace of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.