February 26, 2007
Lent Reading Day 5

Abraham and Isaac:

Genesis 22:9-14

The story of the barren Abraham and Sarah journeying through the desert towards a new promised land and the promise of a child climaxes with the birth of Isaac by God's grace. Of course between this gift there were many times in which Abraham and Sarah scheme and sneak their own ways, trying to make what God promised happen by their own grit, greed, and guts. Isaac is born - the child of laughter - what his name refers to, reminding the proud parents each time that they call their son by name that they laughed when God made the promise of a child, doubting, disbelieving and discrediting that God could do such a mysterousily miraculous thing.

God then paradoxically invites and commands Abraham to take Isaac into the wilderness, and there to offer his only son, the long-awaited promise of future life, the fulfillment of his present moment, and the deep trust in God's goodness, in sacrifice. Some would say this is a demented and destructive God, asking parents to sacrifice their own child for God's glory. Yet it's a test - a cruel one in a way - to see what Abraham trusts in. Does Abraham trust only in his own power to provide for himself and his family (which is what he seems to do in most of his life)? To what extent does Abraham trust that God will provide?

We live in a time of great narcissim. One of the fastest selling books at the moment, the Secret, asserts that we can attract the future - the money - the looks - the body size - the material goods - that we want. Heralded by Oprah and Ellen, the divas of day-time tv, this new book, describing old thoughts, proclaims that we make the positive and the negative things happen in our life. It sounds catchy and encouraging...imagine yourself in that Porsche that has been prius-ed to get 150 mpg, and you'll soon be in it. Yet what about the downsides, that we make negative things happen by our thoughts? Is this really true when we think of what it means for those that lost everything in New Orleans, who live trapped in the Sunni Triangle in Iraq, or seeking to thrive in the midst of HIV-infected countries in southern Africa? Do we really have that much power over the universe?

Instead I'm struck by the memory of this story - which is foundational in Christianity, Judaism and Isalm - reminding me that God will provide and does provide. In fact the place where this story supposedly happened has become both the temple mount in Jerusalem and the site of the Mulsim Al-Aqsa Mosque. As I dwell on the invitation to trust that God will provide in the midst of our radically narcistic culture (check out the Oakland Tribune article that describes a study detailing the increasing rate of narcissim among college students and the possible negative effects on our culture) I'm pushed to look for different examples of trust, gratitude, and other-centerdness in our culture. I think of the acceptance speech of Supporting Actress Jennifer Hudson at the Academy Awards this past Sunday, when she said repeatedly, "I thank God." "God is so good."

In whom do we put our trust? How do I believe that God will provide for me, my family, and our church community? How do I second-guess God, by ensuring by my own powers and schemes - in an AbrahamSarah-ish way - that I'm provided for when God doesn't seem to be acting, or doing things the way that I'd like them to be done?