So about
Brexit – (I know you will be pleased to hear about this) The problem it seems
to me was that promises were being made by both sides of the argument by people
who could not be at all sure to deliver. The “exiters” promised to break off
one of the three legs of the European Union which since the beginning have been
the free movement of capital, goods and labour while the “stayers” promised to
lead a reform of the seemingly so far irreformable. Neither is impossible,
either might be desirable but each needs a lot of cooperation from many other
people, notably those who live on the other sides of the English Channel (La
Manche), the North Sea or for that matter the Irish Sea .
So then all these promises were wrapped in a fog knitted of doubt.
Abram had
spoken with God before – or rather God had spoken to him: “Leave your country,
your people and go to the country I will show you; to your offspring I will
give this land.” So Abram had gone and we find him now in this morning’s
reading (Genesis 15:1-6) having successfully rescued his nephew Lot with from
captivity, a man of reputation and wealth a man of lands and cattle. “Do not be
afraid, Abram,” says the Lord in a dream, “I am your shield, your reward shall
be very great.”
Abram
though betrays his frustration: Lord I have very much already but I have not
got what I really want. I want a child! I continue childless he cries and in
that word continue we hear the ache that many will know – the hurt and
experience of an unfulfilled longing for a child and we can relate easily and
deeply to it. The yearning remains even though Abram and Sarai are getting on
in years. But Abram has given up. Ancient documents from the second millennium
before Christ discovered near the river Tigris
explain that it was legally possible for a childless man to adopt one of his
male servants to be heir and guardian of his estate. Abram’s mourning, anger
and despair for his childlessness has given way to accepting and planning for
that acceptance by dreaming of naming Elezier his servant as his inheritor.
Then the
Lord in that memorable visual promise takes him out on a clear Middle Eastern
night to count the stars.
And he believed the Lord.
It feels
a bit weak that word believed for this is no trivial agreement, say with Boris or David, rather Abram lays back in
God’s arms and “believed and trusted” in him. Neither is it accidental that
this trust is born from the word of God and the vision of his creation. It
seems God is saying “See the stars that I have made look at them closely and know therefore that
I can supremely deliver on my promises.
“Do not
be afraid little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the
kingdom.” This is the New Testament promise, that there will be life
everlasting after death in the kingdom of heaven and as we listen to the words
of Genesis joining them with these from the teachings of Jesus towards the end
of his earthly ministry, as we hear and absorb that great span of revelation be
sure that this is the same God that Abram trusted and that we can trust also
for he delivers his promises.
