Aliens: Abraham

Genesis 12:9-11New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.

Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know well that you are a woman beautiful in appearance;

Genesis 17:7-9New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.”

God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 

Genesis 21:33-34New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. And Abraham resided as an alien many days in the land of the Philistines.

If you are anything like me, you have been touched with sorrow at the tragic plight of the refugees - mostly Syrian - fleeing into Europe from the bloody violence ravaging their country.

It has made me ask myself where God is in this story. Where is God's movement? Where does God stand when refugees flee to become aliens in new and foreign countries?

And where does God want me to stand?

And so I want to spend a little time looking at where God stands in scripture.

And perhaps the first way to do that is to look at God's first chosen leader, Abraham.

Who by God's very call was an alien.

Who left his home and went where God called him to.

Who settled in more than one place as an alien.

From the very beginning God's people were people on the move. God sent Adam and Eve - for protection as much as punishment - out of the Garden. God sent Noah from his home into the ark.

And God sent Abraham from his home toward the promised land where generations after him would continue to move toward.

Does God stand with those who would keep people out?

Or does God stand with those who are moving toward a new home?

And where do I stand?

I'll look through some of God's aliens in these next few blogs to see if we can find answers.

God of movement, move my heart toward those who have been moved from home. Amen.