And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’ – Genesis 20:13

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 11, 2018): Genesis 20

Oscar Wilde said that “Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.” I am allowed to my reality, but what I should not do is force you into that reality. It is one of the areas where I feel Christianity often goes astray sometimes. I believe that Christianity leads me towards making moral choices. On some of those moral choices, there is agreement across the society. Do not murder (maybe not “Do not kill” which can engage some in a situational ethics debate) is something upon which we can agree. We can encode it in our laws. But I also believe that Jesus leads us toward a statement that says “Do not hate.” While I think that that is an excellent practice, it is not a practice that all of us want to follow. I believe that all hate ever does is tear down a society, but others disagree with me, believing that hate is a normal emotion that needs to be expressed. Some even believe, and I do not understand this, that hate is something that God leads us toward and commands us to do. And so they carry placards which carry messages of hate aimed at various minorities. I think that the world would be a much better place if we would just lay our hate aside, but not everyone agrees.

And so the idea “Do not murder” is encoded in various laws of our society. Murder is wrong. But hate, on the other hand, is somewhat protected as free speech unless it incites people to violence. I might believe that hate is wrong, but to force you to believe that is selfishness on my part.

There are a few things that I do not understand about Abraham, and one of them is highlighted in this passage. Abraham is afraid, and so he decides that he is going to say that Sarah is his sister (which she is, but the more important relationship is that she is his wife, and that is something that Abraham knows.) Abraham then multiplies the sin of the lie by coercing Sarah to go along with him using the words “If you love me you will support my version of reality.” Part of the problem, which Sarah may have recognized, but not had the power to resist in her culture, is that Abraham already tried this tactic once, and it failed miserably. But beyond that, the lie places Sarah at significant risk. In the story, Abimelek claims Sarah as his wife, possibly as a way of making a treaty with Abraham who seems to have possessed a level of power in his society. Following the addition of Sarah to his harem, Abimelek could have entered into a sexual relationship with her, and Sarah would have been powerless to resist. Abraham’s fear and his coercion of Sarah to support his version of reality reveals an incredible selfishness in the patriarch. Abraham saved his own life by lacing the life and health of his wife in danger. It was a selfish act that could have resulted in significant harm if God had not intervened in the situation.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 21

They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” – Genesis 19:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 10, 2018): Genesis 19

Sodom and Gomorrah. Just the mention of the names of the cities brings to mind the argument over same-sex attraction and gay marriage. The overwhelming Christian message is that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of plain because of the presence of same-sex sexual interaction. How do we know that homosexuality is wrong? Well, just look at Sodom and Gomorrah.

But the problem is that that message is wrong. Oh, you can make a case that God opposes same-sex sexual interaction. But the problem is that Sodom and Gomorrah cannot be part of the argument, because same-sex sexual interaction is not what the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is all about. The story of the destruction of the cities of the plain is about a lack of hospitality. It is about not welcoming the visitor and the stranger and not accepting “the least of these.” Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because the leaders of the cities were xenophobic, they feared the stranger.

And if you wonder if that could be true, let me remind you that two other Jewish leaders agreed that the sin Sodom and Gomorrah is about the stranger, the weak and the needy – Ezekiel and, wait for it, Jesus. Let’s start with Ezekiel:

‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen (Ezekiel 16:49-50).

Jesus seems to agree:

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town (Matthew 10:14-15).

Maybe in the wake of the United States practice of separating children from their parents at the southern border (June 2018), there is maybe no more relevant verse in the Bible than this one. Even the defense of the practice in the U.S. was identical with that of Sodom and Gomorrah. The United States defended their practice of separating children from their parents by saying that they wanted to stop illegal immigration. If you know that your child is going to be taken from you, maybe you will decide not to come.  The reason behind the men calling out the visiting men for sex was not that they were same-sex attracted. They wanted to stop people from coming to their cities. What better way to stop illegal immigration than to rape the men who tried to visit. The message would get out, and the visits would stop.

In the end, God stepped in and stopped the visits to Sodom and Gomorrah by destroying the cities. And Jesus reminded us of the importance of the stranger. ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’ (Matthew 25:40).

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 20

Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” – Genesis 18:32

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 9, 2018): Genesis 18

Sometimes I wonder if we read the Bible with the correct attitude. The Bible contains instructions for life, but it also contains descriptions of just what happened. And sometimes the descriptions come with little to warn us about what it is that the Bible is really saying. The story of Abraham and his three visitors is one of those stories.

According to the story, the three visitors come to Abraham, and they reveal to Abraham that God is considering the destruction of the cities of the plain, not far from Abraham’s home. Since they revealed the information, it is plausible that God wanted to watch Abraham’s reaction to the holy proclamation. Abraham argues for the cities of the plane. Starting at fifty righteous, he argues God down to ten righteous. If there are ten righteous, then the cities would be saved.

What is important about this story is the similarity that it has with a couple of other stories in the Tanakh (Old Testament). Consider for a moment the story of Noah (Genesis 6 - 9). God comes to Noah and says that the word is evil and it needs to be destroyed. God then instructs Noah to build an ark. Noah’s response? He builds a big boat. We know of no conversation between Noah and God as we have between Abraham and God. Could Noah have entered into the same kind of bartering as Abraham did? I do not see why not, although it is unlikely that Noah’s bartering would have yielded a different result than that of Abraham.

But there is another story that we need to consider. This time it is a story of Moses. God decides that there is too much evil in Israel. The nation needs to be destroyed, and God argues that he is willing to start over with Moses. Moses response?

But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people (Exodus 32:11-12).

Essentially, Moses turns to God and asks God to have mercy on him and his people. My question is this – is it possible that this was the reaction that God desired the whole time. Did God want Noah to stand up to him and ask for his mercy? Would that have changed the fate of the world during the time of the Great Deluge? Is it possible that God was full of hope as Abraham argued him down from fifty to ten? Is it possible that God hoped that Abraham’s endpoint might be one? Or even better that, like Moses, Abraham would place himself in the middle of the plain and say to God “Have mercy on us, sinners.”

I don’t know the answer to the question. But I suspect the answer might be yes. And that would change the way we intercede for the world in which we live. Instead of emerging from our holy conclaves pointing fingers at the evil world in which we live, we might just need to get down on our knees and ask God for his mercy to be poured out on this world, the good and the bad, with the sure knowledge that we are all sinners.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 19

And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” – Genesis 17:18

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 8, 2018): Genesis 17

My three oldest grandchildren are in a rotation. (I hope that one day my youngest, and any other grandchildren that I might have will join the rotation.) But the idea is that each one gets to spend a night at Grandma’s house, without having to divide their time with the others. For one night, they get Grandma, and Grandpa, all to themselves. They know the rotation, and they know when their turn is next. They start asking Grandma to put the date on the calendar, to circle the number and count the sleeps until the night arrives and they get a turn, all by themselves, at Grandma’s house. For now, anyway. I suspect that the day is coming when spending a day with Grandma and Grandpa will cease to be something special and they won’t mind skipping their turn. But for now, the time with Grandma is treasured and, as grandparents, we hope that we are building memories for them and with them.

We have four grandchildren. Each one is very different from the others. Emilina is my sensitive princess. She is the responsible one and often the mother to the rest, whether they like it or not. William is the artist. He has an appreciation of music. That appreciation, combined with his comfort at being alone, might mean that he will be proficient in an instrument or instruments, one day. For now, he is content playing with his guitar. Henry is the sportsman. He is built like an American Football Player. (He and his brother William are all of four years old as I write this.) Henry is a strong man, always looking for things that he can lift. When he visits Grandpa during Grandpa’s workouts, Henry goes straight for the dumbbells in the corner proving once more how much he can lift, and he always needs a turn walking on the treadmill. James is still counting his age in months, but even now we can sense his determination. Whatever it is that James puts his mind to, I am confident that he will accomplish.

So why this journey down a road centering on my grandchildren? Because I know how I feel about each one of them. There is no boundary to my love. They are some of the most important aspects of my life. And time spent with them is a joy. And I want the best for each one of them.

A few years ago I wrote on the complicated relationship between Isaac and his older brother Ishmael, and how as Christians we center on Isaac, the child of promise. We understand the conflict between Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, and Sarah, the mother of Isaac. But I wonder if we can put ourselves, for a moment, in the place of Abraham. At this point, Abraham has one son. His name is Ishmael, and he is the pride of his father. God says that there will be another son. And Abraham’s response is “I’m okay. I have Ishmael, whom I love with everything that I have and am. Just bless Ishmael.” Maybe this last part is about Abraham once again trying to help God along. Abraham and Sarah were old, well beyond childbearing years. God didn’t need to do something extraordinary. Ishmael was enough.

But a major part of Abraham’s statement reflects a love that Dad has for his son. God may give him a hundred more sons, but each would be different, and none would detract from his love for his oldest son, Ishmael.

Isaac would be the child of promise. But Ishmael would always be the oldest son of Abraham. And Abraham, like most of us, loved both of his sons. And if one were blessed, his prayer would be that the other would be blessed as well. That is simply the way it is when you are parents – or grandparents.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 18

He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. – Genesis 16:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 7, 2018): Genesis 16

There may be no greater cause for discontent than the suggestion that we can do the job of our bosses better than they can. We have probably all felt that kind of discontent at some times during our careers, or maybe even during our education. I know that I have. I also know that the idea is often, although not always, a lie. And usually, it is borne out of a misunderstanding of the job that our bosses do. Oh, there is no doubt that the employee may be better than the boss at certain tasks, but the totality of the boss’s job often goes well beyond anything that an employee is asked to do. And the truth is that, if the boss could spend all his time doing what the employee does, they might be better at the task than we think that they might be.

Abram and Sarai devised a plan to help God fulfill the promise that he had made to the couple. This is usually where we go off of the road. And it was no different for Abram and Sarai. God had promised an heir for Abram. In a society where heirs were extremely important, custom allowed for Abram to impregnate Sarai’s servant, and the child would still be considered to belong to Abram and Sarai. So the plan was made, and Abram slept with Hagar, the servant of Sarai.

Hagar became pregnant. We are not told how long it took, and it probably doesn’t matter. And Hagar’s pregnancy proves that God is unwilling to protect us, even when our mistakes originate from a misguided desire to help him with his promises. From the very beginning, the plan of Abram and Sarai began to fall apart. First, it was probably foolish to believe that Abram and Hagar could have a child and that it could be anything but the child of Hagar. Even in the eyes of Sarai, Ishmael was nothing more than the child of a servant girl. Even though the plan was that the child that resulted from the union of Abram and Sarai would be Sarai’s child, Sarai never accepted Ishmael as her own.

But maybe more importantly, Hagar began to despise Sarai. She began to believe that she was more important than Sarai. After all, it was she who had given birth to Abram’s heir. She did something that Sarai could not do. Hagar likely began to believe that she should have been the lady of the house, and discontent began to be a major part of her attitude toward her mistress.

Looking back at the situation described in Genesis, it is really isn’t much of a surprise. But there is also no indication that Abram ever believed that Hagar was more important than Sarai. Sarai was his wife, and Hagar was never anything more than Sarai’s servant. But just because that was what Abram believed, did not mean that that was what Sarai and Hagar believed. At this moment, a conflict was started that would not end even after Sarai gave birth to Isaac. And it was all because Abram and Sarai tried to give a human helping hand to the plan of God.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 17

In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure. – Genesis 15:16

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 6, 2018): Genesis 15

“I live in my own little world. But its ok, they know me here.” With these words, Lauren Myracle describes home. I have to admit that I understand the feeling. I live in a major city, and I have friends that like to rail against city life. But the truth is that, no matter where we live, we usually find a way whittle down the city to a more manageable size. For me, there is probably a sixteen to twenty block area, the size of a small town, from which I rarely wander. (I am definitely lucky that I work within that radius.) This is my home.

Psychologically, we make that world even smaller. Well, at least some of us do. I am decidedly an introvert, sometimes performing and extroverts job. But we tend to keep the true contacts a lot smaller. My twitter account may number my friends in the thousand, but there are probably less than a dozen people outside of my family who I truly trust and with whom I really want to spend my time. Some I know number those with whom they are truly comfortable at far fewer. Sometimes, and I can number even among this group, we are happiest when we are alone. It is then that we probably understand the true import of Myracle’s words. “I live in my own little world. But its ok, they know me here.”   

Home is a bit of a strange concept. The adage is that “you can’t go home.” And the adage is probably true. I graduated from a small rural town school. I have been back a few times, but now it is just a small town. I have great memories, but while it was home, it is home no longer. I was born just outside one of the great North American cities. Again, I have great memories, and even have some relatives who still live in the area, but it is not really home. When I am there, I still experience a yearning for that place we call home.

But home is more than a place that we live. It is the people who we love and who are important to us, but it is even more than that. Home is the place that we live, combined with the people who we love and trust – it doesn’t matter if that number is one or a hundred, and then added to both of these things home is the idea that it is a place where we feel safe.

The descendants of Abraham were given a small piece of land just on the east side of the Mediterranean Sea. But they would not always be able to live there. There would be a time when they would have to leave. (Just a note, I have always struggled with the mention of the fourth generation in this verse. The time indicated seems to be much closer to the time that the descendants of Abraham would leave than the time that they would return, which was earlier mentioned to be four hundred years. Maybe there is a transmission error here, or maybe I just don’t understand the concept the way that Abraham did.) The children of Abraham would leave, and for a while, they would make their home somewhere else. But that place, while it might have been home for a while, would not always be home. It would not always be safe. But the time would come when Abraham’s children would once again return to that small piece of land by the Mediterranean Sea – to a place that is home; a place that is safe.

And Abraham’s children would live in this place for generations. But they would be exiled again and then come back, only to find themselves exiled once more. Following the Second World War, the exile of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would once again become a problem. They needed to come home once more, to a place where they could be safe. The problem in the Middle East is far from being solved, but the hope and the goal are that it can become home; a place among friends that is once again safe for all kinds of people.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 16

Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. – Genesis 14:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 5, 2018): Genesis 14

Repetition in language is interesting; it reveals so much about what we are thinking. And that is something that I need to remember as I speak and listen to those around me. Repetition reveals what we think is important. The age-old adage for speakers is simple; tell your audience the message you are about to deliver, deliver the message, and then close by reminding them about what you just said. (Or, tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.) Repetition is a way of marking what is important.

Another reason to repeat is when we are trying to commit something to memory. Some people have asked me how I remember lines for a role that I might be playing, or even for a teaching moment for which I might be responsible. How do I remember? The answer is repetition. In a recent dinner theater role that I played, memorization meant walking in circles around a meeting area repeating the lines that I need to remember.

Hebrew has long involved repetition. One of the reasons and there are a few, that I believe that the Genesis 1 Creation Story was originally intended as a poem is because there is a subtle repetition between Day 1 and 4, Day 2 and 5, and Day 3 and 6. It doesn’t make the central point that God created the Heaven and the Earth any less true, which is sometimes the reason why people do not seem to want to believe that Genesis 1 is poetry. Much of the Bible is written with a Hebrew poetry structure in mind, and yet it is still true.

Another reason in the Hebrew thought is to increase the magnitude of something. So God is not said to be “Holy,” he is “Holy, Holy, Holy” or extremely holy. The Song of Solomon is often referred to as the “Song of Songs” – of all the songs it is the best. The message we are to receive is from repetition

Here the literal phrasing from which the translation of “full of tar pits” is “pits pits tar,” the repetition indicating that there were a number of them in the valley. Evidently, these pits were not always recognizable, and therefore the armies, in their haste, lost a number of soldiers.

Life is still full of unseen dangers, and maybe sometimes it is the repetition that we need to hear. Life is amazing, but it is also full of hidden dangers, and too often we walk into those dangers without realizing that they are there. We are the soldiers in the valley surrounded by tar pits. And we need someone to remind us of the danger repetitiously.

Can I do that? Danger, Danger. You know what I mean.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 15