absurd is what remains
There’s something powerful about absurdity. Something impossible, unexpected, or unlikely. This, at its core, is the story of Abraham.
As such, it is the story of us.
Think about it. An unfertile, childless, wandering Middle Eastern sheepherder named “Abram.”
His name loosely translates into “father of many.” Which basically means that he was a walking punchline.
His family worshiped at the polytheistic altars of their home nations. And then, out of nowhere, God speaks to him.
Allow me to set it up a little further. This comes on the heels of the Prologue, the first 11 chapters of Genesis that give the foundation for how we got here and why the world is the way it is. It is an epic, disastrous move from “good creation” to really, really broken.
This conversation with Abram is the beginning of a great reversal. In our story, it is where we believe God steps in and starts to change everything. It is God relentlessly pursuing reconciliation with sinful Adams and Eves.
Also, note that in the Hebrew Bible, “The Lord” or “God” is not defined until the Exodus. What god did Abram think he was interacting with? I’d contend that it’s intentionally ambiguous, and that’s the point.
The point is that a wandering, childless man was given this commandment:
Go from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And 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 him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Now, I could spend a lot of time talking about the different dynamics of this passage and what they mean. But there’s really just one I’d focus on.
A childless old man and his barren old wife are going to be…. the parents of a great nation.
How absurd.
And not only that, but the absurd trust of this barren man is intended to start unraveling the mistrust which started in the Garden of Eden.
God intentionally chooses a small, wandering nomadic group of sheepherders led by a childless man to start a nation that will be the reflection and representation of Him in the world.
Absurdity.
And when absurdity defines the beginning of your story, you better cling to absurdity.
I'm a runner, writer, thinker, and pastor. I love to agitate people's consciences. I like to spend my time reading, running, and relaxing with family & friends.