February 23, 2007

Lent Reading Day 3

The Flood: Genesis 6:5-8:15

The story of Noah, the Ark, and the great flood is well known, in particular when you visit stores that sell decorations for baby rooms. It always strikes me that we often decorate children's room and dress them up with figures from this story that at first-glance seems so destuctive, and divisive. Is the story about a God who destroys everything that God created because things don't go as God planned or imagined?; or is it about a God that takes the initiative, inviting to a deeper relationship?



The story of the great flood existed in the myths of many of the ancient cultures in mesopotamia. Many scholars assert that the Israelites adopted this story from their neighbors, transforming it, claiming it for their own faith community. The selection for the day leaves out the part of the stoy that reveals God's heart, passion, and purpose. Genesis 8:15-22 talks about the unique aspect that the God of the Bible promises to never bring about such cataclysmic destuction again, making a covenant with Noah and his family to be in relationship with them.



What does it mean for us that God makes a covenant to be with us, to be for us, and to be among us? How does such a promise change how I live my day, the decisions I make, and the way I invest in my relationships?