“… however …”

ISAIAH 43: 1-7

The sanctuary was bathed in candlelight as it is for theWednesday evening Taize service … the kneeling bench was in place readied foranyone wanting to receive God’s gifts of love, mercy, forgiveness and peace …oh yes, the kneeling bench … indeed the one that I clumsily embarrassedly stumbledover last week in the middle of a sacred moment of anointing  missioners … that bench … we weresinging the beautiful Taize piece … “I amsure I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living … yes, Ishall see the goodness of our God … hold firm … trust in the Lord …”  a woman came haltingly … looking so hesitant…. not quite certain about receiving this sacred gift of Holy Communion … sheknelt down as others before her had done and  I picked up the chalice and platen …  and then only as it happens through theSpirit of God, I was moved to use the Prophet Isaiah’s words of God …

“… God calls you by name, you are God’s …

You are precious in God’s eyes,

honored and God loves you …”

Silent … soft …  tears began to fall upon her cheeks … she looked up at mewith eyes of amazement … as if to say …

“…I am?  Are you sure? …”

This woman was hearing what we all desire to hear and tobelieve … yet she was asking the questions that are seemingly ageless …  “Whoam I?”  “Where do I really belong?”  “Whatmakes my life worthy?”  and theone just asked of me this week in earnest … “ “Am I really truly worthy ofGod’s love?”  “…have I lived … do Ilive well enough?”

These are the questions in life that never seem to go away …and we often seek the answers by looking in the wrong places …   what we really need according tothe Prophet Isaiah is to hear and believe:  it is God who gives us identity and value.

In this amazingly beautiful and prophetic poem of God’svoice in monologue, God  speaks toa people bloodied, bruised and beleaguered  with words of comfort and hope … these profound wordsidentifying who they are and whose they are.  The Israelites are a people valued and honored by God … theOne who created them has redeemed them … that One has not turned away from them– they belong to God as sheep belong to a shepherd. 

God speaks in this passage to a nation yet using a particulartense of the verb enabling the message to  speak to each member of the community as individuals as well.  It is interesting to note … not unlikeus … each affirmation seems to come with a silent question: … “If God is withus why are we besieged .. beleaguered by crime, war, poverty, hunger? … why dowe feel isolated and alienated? Each unspoken but anticipated question is answered with an assurancethat no matter what – fire or flood – wind or relationship distress – war orfamine – God is with us … we are called by God’s name and not skin color, gender,or nationality …or  any otherquality of divisiveness, or boundaries can separate us …  we are all God’s own … and there is anunabashed desire that moves God to compassion and action …

These understandings bring with them a discovery for theseholy … blessed … honored … redeemed and loved people of God …  creation and redemption flow from thesame gracious essence of God joined just as intimately as Isaiah makes them inthe first verse of this passage:

“But now thus says the Lord,

He who created you, O Jacob,

He who formed you, O Israel:

‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine.’ ”

Words this good, love this uncommon, truth this clearlygiven take time to be believed and absorbed.

There must be at least one of you out there waiting for the“but” … this is too good to be true … there must be a but somewhere in this …and I am here to say there are no if(s)… and(s) …  or but(s) …  itis true for each of us just as sure as it was true for the Israelites.

And thanks to a colleague who shall remain  nameless, called  Phil, who remembered a WalterRaushenbusch quote … of course he has just finished a course in Rauschenbusch andthe Social Gospel, so he better remember at least one quote, :  we can be moved to another profoundunderstanding and truth  in thispassage:

“The kingdom of God is both our gift

and our task.”

So, there are no buts …

there is an important “…however…”!

Divine assurance is not the same as divine license … whathas been given to us is not ours exclusively … it is given to all of God’s people … all are preciousin God’s sight … all are called by name … all are honored … all are loved …

Perhaps you read Imam Shafiq’s article in the newspaperfollowing the attempted and fortunately failed bombing of the Northwest flightto Detroit.  “We feel that perhapsthere will be pressure – we are afraid of profiling similar to what happened toMuslims following 9/11.  We areconcerned about a backlash against Muslims.  We ask you not to paint all Muslims with a broad brush.”  An exquisite, bright hospitalistphysician of Arabian descent was a victim of backlash here in Rochesterdevastatingly inhumane and cruel ways by neighbors following the 9/11 terroristattack. 

“There is nothing so generous as the person who sees

another as God sees and loves …”

Last week really quite tragically, one of our young peoplecommissioned and  bound forNicaragua went into a restaurant in the city for dinner.  Upon returning  to his car, he found his car broken into… his computer … his backpack containing personal items and  his Polish passport had beenstolen.  We can only imagine hisfeelings of righteous indignation and violation .  Concern was expressed about how well he might have sleptafter this tragic situation … his answer: “I slept just fine.  Iprayed for the perpetrator.”

“When a kinder option is chosen, it truly

radiates out and comes back to you …”

One of the most valuable gifts given to us through God … oneof the most valuable gifts we can offer is seeing people in the best possiblelight … when we offer people the gift of believing the best of them, as Goddoes for us, we light the pathway to their becoming the very best of who theyare!

Under the bolded heading practice thoughtfulness, was an article describing the course thatAndy Smallman teaches both on-line and in the classroom .  He calls his enlarging enrollment a“positive virus”.  Since midSeptember 250 people through his online course have learned about kindness bypracticing it.  He says , along theway they took emotional risks, repaired relationships, improved their outlookon the world and realized kindness is contagious.  One enrollee said: ‘Signing up for the class just felt like the right thing to do in orderto step outside of myself and see the world as a helpful, kind place, asopposed to a frightening place.” She enrolled as a way to combat the isolation she’s felt since she gotlaid off from Washington Mutual this year.  “I feel a lot more peaceful and positive about the world”

A woman who lives in Astsoria, Oregon, bought a $15 giftcard and left it on the windshield for a young woman who had just entered anearby unemployment/welfare office. 

Debbie Macomber in her latest book: ONE  SIMPLE ACT ,  tells the story of a friend’s mother, Ruth, who always believed the best about a  person.  The family teased her about it to no end.  No matter who was mentioned, Ruth’sface would soften and she’d say, “I think he/she must be a really niceperson.”  The family would laugh,but there was something special inside her that assumed the best ineveryone.  As far as the family wasconcerned, the real kicker came when Ruth sat quietly watching the news.  A full-screen shot appeared of Osamabin Laden.  Ruth spoke, almost toherself, “I just don’t understand. He looks like such a nice person.” We all strive for discernment, but there’s something about Ruth’s brandof empathy and optimism that marks a person living in a spirit of  God’s generosity.  In a world where criticism and cynicismhave become national pastimes, there is nothing so generous as the person whosees another as God sees. 

“Sometimes all it takes is one simple act of believing

in someone to unlock his or her potential.”

Perhaps you see the hungry and homeless about our city, aswell.  Often when I am driving tothe hospital there will be a person with a sign asking for money for food atthe Goodman Street exit going off of 490, or one is often at the exit ramp onSt. Paul Street at the inner loop. I, too, am prone to uneasy feelings …however, I have started to give out the Dining Caring Center cards.   The story is told of a woman andher husband who buy gift cards from fast food restaurants.  They keep them in the car.  Every time they pass a homeless personor a panhandler, they roll down the window, greet the person in the Lord’sname, and hand the person a card for a nearby fast food restaurant. 

“Make it a practice to judge persons and things

in the most favorable light

at all times and under all circumstances.”

God loves you … God honors you … You are precious in God’ssight … God is with you … 

“…however …”

whose eyes will you look into and say:

“God created you …

God formed you …

God calls you by name ..

You are precious in God’s sight …

You are honored …

God loves you!...”