I have no doubt that God wants us to be a 'great nation". I don't think that it is meant to imply or come close to meaning the United States of America. I am not convinced that this passage means Israel either, nor any other nation on earth. I am more likely to think that as a human document however inspired by God, it refers to humanity as a whole. As humans we have a tendency to think revelations apply to us and others - well, not so much. I'd like to consider that it refers to all humanity.
God wants us to be a great "nation". That is to say, cooperative with God's plan and that is primarily to be the best we can be as God created us and to love as God loves us. The real rub is not who this applies to but how it is applied.
I once had a Baptist minister living with me for a few months. His opinion was that women should be silent, (essentially) barefoot, stay at home and raise kids. I had to tell him that I could not disagree with him more vigorously. His thoughts were that by 'supporting' what God had made women to be, he was elevating them, honoring them and supporting their journey to wholeness ( my words, not his ). Hey, if that's what a couple decides and that is how they both decide they want things to work, great. fine. so be it. That interpretation of what God made us to be is utterly, and to me, maddeningly man made. It speaks to misogyny, male dominance and denies the possibility and gifts that many women are given by God. My own (first) marriage (to a woman!) in practice was one of total support of the gifts she was graced with. I was described as the "wind beneath her wings". That included a team attitude to all tasks and responsibilities of the household.
So right from the get go, the difference is in how we each perceive cooperation with God and the 'great nation'. I am strongly, nay, vehemently opposed to interpretation of holy Scriptures of any denomination that limit, constrict, promote abuse or otherwise stifle the love and full development of us as humans. I also think that anything that disrespects the created world or abuses our created world is antithetical to God's whole design and purpose for humanity.
What are the terms in which you read Holy Scripture? Literalism? Totally and unerringly the word of God verbatim? How can we fulfill God's promise of us being a great nation if we have such diverse opinions about Scripture? In the absence of an agreement in what the exact terms of our salvation and destiny is, I defer to those two great commandments and my forever and number one arbiter, Love.
Let us pray for unity, strive for community and always and foremost, love.
Genesis 12:1-7
Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lordappeared to Abram, and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
No comments:
Post a Comment