Called by Name

A four year old being questioned by professionals to describe what love is, replied, " When someone loves you, the way they say your name is diffrent.  You know that your name is safe in their mouth."  When through the prophet Isaiah we hear these words, "I have called you by your name,/giving you a title, though you knew me not," (Is 45: 4) what would our names sound like?  No doubt that feeling safe factor would be there, but have we ever imagined how God would pronounce our names?  Tenderly? Sternly? Rousingly?  How do we say the names of Jesus, Mary, Joseph or our favorite saints?  The George M. Cohan song, "Mary" comes to mind...so affectionate, so reverent, so loving. So does the St Louis Jesuit song, "Jesus"...slowly repeated several times with warmth and familiarity.  How do we say the names of those whom we love?  The simple act of calling a name reveals so much about a relationship.  A name like Zach with the heavy Z almost always dictates a snappy, gutteral, even harsh, pronounciation.  Saying the whole name, Zachary might be done tenderly or warningly, "I want your attention, NOW!"  On and on.  May I suggest we take some time with names on this sabbath are reflect on how we say them and how that reveals and perhaps helps our relationship with those people.  And, above all, let us listen to how God calls our name.
Bro. Rene