My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
The first twelve chapters of Genesis give us a history of sin. It begins with the gift of a simple contract with Adam and Eve: live, multiply, and tend to this Garden. Stay as long as you like, so long as you don't eat of the particular tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The couple were not even settled in before they had violated that simple prohibition.
The story continues with worsening troubles as brother murders brother, and ignorance of God pollutes the Earth. Nor did the Deluge and the deliverance of one man and his family change the trajectory. Noah's drinking stirred family strife and divisions; conflicts and war ensued. The confusion of languages at Babel did nothing for the cause of justice, mercy, and righteousness. It was time for a new tack.
The old strategies failed because they did nothing to change the inner human being. They asked only for external conformity. The Covenant with Abraham had two singular advantages: it concerned faith, that willingness of the individual to believe, trust, and love God with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Secondly, when Abraham's descendants betrayed the One who had chosen them, the LORD would remember his Covenant with Abraham.
Because the friendship, or covenant, of God belongs entirely to God's initiative, and because God does not forget his loyalty to Abraham -- who is historical and not mythological -- it is renewed in every age despite the persistent sins of Abraham's descendants.
Secondly, its renewed dimensions belong entirely to God and not to the expectations of God's people. If the Lord renews the covenant with Moses in the desert, Ezekiel in Babylon, Ezra in Jerusalem, or Jesus with his passion, death, and resurrection, the people cannot say, "We'd prefer the old covenant we made with you!"
Finally, because God is faithful, God always inspires a new generation of faithful people; "he could raise believers even from these stone!" Despite the threats of the prophets and the punishment that falls upon the unfaithful, there are always faithful people like Mary and Joseph, Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Simeon and Anna. They keep the faith and they welcome the renewed covenant.
When the Church's liturgy seems to go through a bewildering metamorphosis -- as in the change from universal Latin to vernacular languages -- the faithful trust God and the Church. They stay, they pray, and the Earth is saved.
The story of Judas tells us there will always be betrayal, scandal, and profound bewilderment. People will always ask the questions of theodicy. How can a good God allow this to happen? Where is God?
The Resurrection assures us, God does not abandon his people.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.