Lent Day #5

The Bible starts off in Genesis with the creation of everything, Adam and Eve getting exiled from the garden of Eden, the first murder, the development of culture, and the corruption of society. God takes a universal approach to things with Noah and the flood -- basically "rebooting" the system by killing nearly everyone. The Noah story ends at the end of Genesis chapter 9, followed by two chapters of lineage listings covering 10 generations and roughly 400 years with no mention God. During this time, humanity spreads across the world. Then we hit chapter 12, and God singles out one individual living in Mesopotamia...

GENESIS 12:1-6 (NJPS)
1 The Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your native land and from your father's house to the land that I will show you.
2 I will make of you a great nation,
And I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you
And curse him that curse you;
And all the families of the earth
Shall bless themselves by you."
4 Abram went forth as the Lord had commanded him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother's son Lot, and all the wealth that they had amassed and the persons that they had acquired in Haran; and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, at the terebinth of Moreh. The Canaanites were then in the land.

This is how the story of Abram / Abraham begins. Imagine it. Abram has lived in his father's house for 75 years -- and then God shows up and says "Gather your things, leave your father behind, and hit the road. Stick with me & I'll make you legendary. All the people of the world will consider themselves blessed because of you." Much of the promises to Abram get interpreted as reversing some of the curses put upon Adam and Eve when they were exiled from the garden.

We don't know if God had spoken to Abram before, or if he heard this audibly or in his head. The variables are mostly unknown. It appears that Abram was fairly well-off already as he had amassed wealth and slaves. Whatever factors came into play, Abram left home with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all of their wealth. He gives up the security of his land and kin and hits the road.

Many of us have left our families to go to college, to take jobs, or to explore other opportunities. This is more dramatic. Even today, we would find it odd for someone to leave their line of work, their home, and their family -- with no plan and no specific destination. It would probably have been more odd then, when the norm was to stay with your family and almost everyone continued in the family business.

Think about how amazing it is that Abram was open and receptive to hearing what God was calling him to do. Sure he was promised a lot, but look at what he sacrificed. Think about how much trust he had to place in God in order to be receptive to being called to a completely new life, even in old age. Most of us are still young. Are we listening to what God is calling us to do? Are we willing to risk what we have for the sake of the unknown if that is where we feel God is leading us?

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, may you open our hearts and minds to your will. We pray that you give us the courage to follow where you lead us. We know that everything we have is a gift from you. Even our very own lives are gifts from you, and we humbly offer them for your use. In Jesus name, Amen.

NOTES:
If you are registered to vote in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia -- the primaries are tomorrow (Tuesday 2/12/2008). Virginia does not do registeration by party, so as long as you are registered to vote, you can take the ballet for whichever primary you are interested in voting in, but not both.