8/24
So tonight we, Marsha, Russ, Steve, Leila and I gather to continue our adventures
through Genesis beginning at the end of chapter 19 with hapless Lot again. Even though he wanted to settle on the little
town Zoar, for some reason he wants to become the first official caveman in
Genesis so takes his daughters and moves into a cave with his (now )
unpartnered daughters.
Concerned that they have no other way to carry on their
family, assuming there’s no other men around, and as perhaps payback for Lot’s
previously offering them up to the aggressive Sodom mob, they get him drunk and
get him to have sex with them. The resulting children, Moab and Ammon, are good negative backstories to explain the general disdain for Moabites and
Ammonites. As she was reading the story, Marsha drew a breath because she could
see what was coming. But then she expressed her admiration for their
willingness to cross boundaries to keep their line going, to do what was
necessary regardless of moral
strictures.
Next (20) as Abraham and Sarah go to Gerar, we get a replay
of their previous experience with pharaoh in Egypt. Once again, Abraham
presents Sarah as his sister. Once again, God alerts the ruler, in this case,
Abimelech, as to what’s going on and once again, Abraham goes off with oxen,
sheep, slaves, land and silver. Considering how well this hustle continues to
go for Abraham, no wonder he keeps doing it.
A couple of notes though. When God speaks to Abimelech and
refers to Abraham as a Prophet, that is the first time he is referred to in
that way. And perhaps because of Abraham’s power, granted by God, to bless and
curse, regardless of Abraham’s courage or integrity at any given moment. So God
leaves this in Abraham’s hands and when Abraham prays for Anbimelech, he is
blessed. And perhaps that is the only ultimate point of this story, the
complete dependability of God’s keeping God’ s side of God’s covenant. Steve
points out how different this is than a contract, which is always conditional.
Next we come to the birth of Isaac. (20) So in honor of the
significance of laughter in his conception story, he is named Isaac. And his
circumcision at 8 days marks the beginning of the tradition of the bris. History’s first. Now Sarah’s
laughter is of joy, not derision, but pure laughter.
Isaac and Ishmael are being raised together and Sarah seeing
Ishmael playing with Isaac leads her to demand that the two be put out. Howard-Brook raises various possible meanings of the
word playing (metzacheq) ranging from
normal play to mocking to sexual connotations. (Steve sees all that as
unnecessary…Sarah is is solely concerned about inheritance. )
Abraham loves and cares for both his boys and is deeply
troubled until God promises to take care of Ishmael as well. He too, will be a
nation, though apparently not as blessed as Isaac’s progeny. (The Muslims, of
course, have a different version of this story…) About to perish in the desert,
Hagar places her child under a bush. (Obviously the teller of this tale at this
point doesn’t see Ishmael as a teenager)
She prays, God responds, water is provided.
They live in Paran and Ishmael gets an Egyptian wife. Here we see that God’s care and concern is
universal, just as a woman from another culture and people has faith equal to
Abraham and Sarah. (This story in Islam becomes a connection to Mecca…)
Finally, Abraham makes a covenant with Abimelech over a
disputed well. (Beersheba) And then Abimelech returns to the land of the
Philsitines, or as we know them, Palestinians.
Our stories and identities rooted in myth as well as history, and in
scripture, they are one and the same.
Beyond any theology or ideology or mythology, what strikes
me most about these stories is the insight into humanity. The written versions
of these stories are at least 2500 years old, in oral form even longer. But I
am taken by Abraham’s anxiety around power, his love for his children. Sarah’s
anxiety for her child, Hagar’s intense love for Ishmael. Our technology has
grown exponentially. The hearts of those who use that technology are unchanged. The human heart remains a work in progress,
constant and unfinished. It is our hearts that define us, not our technological
achievements. The telling of stories to explain our adventure in living is the
same never ending story. Ours to continue.
****
8/25
Late in the day. I step outside. Again, a half-naked person
asleep on the steps. And this time I recognize him….it is Edward, the only
person to have been permanently banned from our steps. (Due to all the times I
had to clean up after him.) I try to wake him. Tell him he knows he’s not
supposed to be here. He semi nods, waves
his hand. He’s pretty far gone. Next time
I come out, I try shaking his foot. He semi nods, still doesn’t move. As I'm leaving
the building, I notice a trail of urine from Edward all the way down to the sidewalk.
As I get on the bus, I call Leila to tell her the police will have to be
called. Later she texts me to tell me
they had to take him away. E very so often, he returns into my life. He returns
to the steps.
