| Today we enter into a section call "YHWH's Originary Love for Israel."
Israel's existence is rooted in YHWH's inescapable, originary commitment to Israel. According to biblical testimony, there was a time when Israel did not exist. Israel came to exist because of the decisive, initiatory action of YHWH. It is certain that there were ethnic and sociological antecedents to Israel, but as a community, as a sociological entity, Israel came to exist in the world of the Near East because of the sovereign, free actin of YHWH.
Just this past week, I heard someone argue that just because one people - one ethnic group - claims to have had an experience with their God, what does that have to do with anything that we consider operative for our day. In other words, the person was wondering also about whose story is to be the one that runs the day - or should any religious story be able to do that? If we claim to be God's people, isn't that something that need be separate from the ways of the world? Can we take part in whatever ritual and ethical aspects of the relationship with God without it having to have an impact on the society in which we live? Is there and should there ever be a 'state' that is rule by or under the thumb of a group that claims a religious story? Or, are we aliens in this world of countries and states and empires? What if multiple 'god stories' exist side by side and one is taken by the majority to be 'the' story? Can one people's story trump other stories? Does it depend on age - how far the story has been spread? Do we take into consideration the way the story is spread over the years.
Connection: I enjoy and find meaning so many of the stories of Israel's God and how it flows into our story of the one we call the Christ of this God, Jesus. That's me. That's my upbringing and what I find nurturing to me. Yet, does it stop me from engaging others with respect and honor - or help me to honor some more than others!?!
O God, whose love become the power to shape us, when we are taken up into your love, bless us with minds and hearts that are open to those around us who do not live by your name and honor you as God. Amen. |
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