“Go – Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land that I will show you!” so Abram went – “not knowing where he was going”
This simple instruction is where it all started really.
The decision of Abram to go meant that we are all involved – and each time we take a step forward in faith, each time we ask God to show us what to do, each time we listen to the small voice calling us to do good for the sake of the kingdom of God, we are taking a step on this journey, begun all those years ago.
Last week and the week before we had been hearing from the Book Genesis, and in that story of the creator and his creation, we see God giving ‘free will and knowledge’ to Adam and Eve. Steps of faith can always be refused, and Abraham could have stayed put. His journey into the unknown was a free choice, with the free will that is the hallmark of our relationship with God.
God promised that, in him, all the families of the earth would be blessed
“I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
Abram – Abraham said yes. And because he said yes, we are blessed indeed – and we have the opportunity to say “yes” to God too.
Last week I was in the Ashmolean museum in Oxford for an hour over lunchtime. I looked at some artifacts that were incredibly old, and as a bit of an amateur in all this stuff I asked why the pots and tools were different. I was told that people had essentially changed how they did things, they stopped being nomadic and started farming. Some of the things they made were beautiful.
The people had found a home and settled down to create and grow rather than move and hunt. This told me a lot about the people, but I couldn’t get a sense of ‘what it meant to them’, ‘how did they feel about it’ and ‘why they did it’.
Returning to home and looking at the Sunday readings, I could see that something similar is going on in the reading. Abram has started something different with God, even though the wandering Arameans eventually stopped wandering physically, spiritually the people of God have remained nomadic, to this day.
What do I mean?
In that sense – Abram – when he started all this, was onto an exciting thing, when he agreed to go on a journey and wander with God for a while. It’s wandering through life with God learning more about him and his purpose for all people, finding opportunities to care for the sick, needy and troubled.
The journey doesn’t mean that we will be safe or protected. The persecuted millions will testify to that. The people who have left their homes in the morning to do good - never to return because of terrorist attacks or military action will testify to that. People of faith who risk all they have for saying yes and following – to be a blessing to others.
When I was thinking about this sermon – St. Augustine was buzzing around my head.
“You awaken us to delight in Your praise, for You made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.” —The Confessions of St. Augustine (c. 400 A.D.)
In the Gospel reading we have of the Pharisees named Nicodemus visiting Jesus after dark to look for answers. Jesus tells him that he must be “born again” and continues to provide us with some text that could arguably provide us with the most talked about and important and well debated statement made. “born again”, “for God so loved the world”, “for God sent his Son not to condemn the world…but to save the world through him”
These phrases have been the foundation of faith for many Christians.
And in the midst of the Gospel story there is Nicodemus, who might have come under cover of darkness to decide for himself whether Jesus was dangerous and had to be stopped, or he might have decided that he needed to start an Abrahamic-esque journey of his own. Risking all for God.
So, where are we on our journey?
I think that is a question you will need to ultimately ask yourselves. There are a few points;
1. Don’t forget we are in LENT, it’s the time of following Christ into the wilderness to see where he will lead you.
2. As I said previously, journeys with God don’t bring earthly security or riches – they do bring blessings. (if you are wondering how much a ‘blessing’ sells for on eBay don’t start the journey)
3. Finally, this LENT – think if your faith brings unity or division, blessing or…unblessing?
May God bless us as we seek to bless others. May God travel with us through this life that we might rest with him in Glory. May he multiply our efforts to make us all superhuman for his sake.
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