The Journey of Faith: Promise and Call (Genesis 12)

Today’s reading (see previous post on Genesis 12) introduces the very important metaphor of journey as a way of characterizing the life of faith.  Reading from the perspective of the New Testament (see especially Hebrews 11), the history of Abraham is not only the beginning of Israel’s history, but also characterizes the life of the Christian Church.  The story of an Abraham leaving behind the securities of a known place to journey into the uncertainties of unknown territories is much more than just a physical movement.  It introduces the rest of the Bible’s theological characterization of God’s people (first Israel, and then the Church) faithfully responding to God’s promise and call.  Like Abraham, we are still God’s people in pursuit of the promised land, because God calls/sends us into the world to participate in the establishment of His kingdom in this world.  What is true of Abraham is still true of us, as Brueggemann puts it, “Abraham is not one who finally arrives at his destination.  He trusts the promise.  But his life falls short of grasping the fulfillment.  He is in the land.  But he does not yet possess it.”

This story emphasizes that the nature of the Christian faith is to be on the journey, and not to arrive at a final destination.  That makes faith as a journey so radical.  It constantly challenge our yearnings for settlement, security, and placement.  It permanently sends us away from our places of safety and certainties into an uncertain and dangerous world for the sake of others rather than ourselves.  On this precarious and dangerous journey, we only have the promise of God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness, and the sole purpose is to obey God’s call to follow Him into relationship with those that He sends us to.  One can’t help asking the question as soon as possible in exploring this story:  how much of the ways in which congregations spend the majority of their time and energy reflect faith as a journey in this manner?

Abraham’s initial journey into the land is faced with the reality of Canaanites (Genesis 12:5-9).  Brueggemann summarizes the uncertain and dangerous reality of journeying into Canaan:  “Here it is better to recognize that the presence of Canaanites points to two religious realities.  First, the promise of God is never easy to believe and practice.  It must always be believed and practiced in the midst of those who practice more effective and attractive ways.  Abraham is called always to be a minority report among those who live and manage society against the promise.  Second, Abraham is called to a relation with the Canaanites… there is no evidence in the Abraham tradition of conflict with the Canaanites.  (See the same issue in Genesis 34).  The Canaanites are, perhaps, a temptation to Abraham, for their ways were sure attractive in contrast to the slow-paced way of God’s promise… there is also no evidence that Abraham seeks to convert them.  Abraham’s work is not to convert and build a church.  Rather, he is to live among them, to practice and believe the promise.  His task is not to impress or even to bear witness to God, but simply to permit the reality of blessing to be at work.”

The rest of the Bible (and certainly the New Testament) may add more dimensions to what is important on the journey of faith, but what we find in the Abraham story is the basic point of departure for the Christian Church’s obedience to God’s promise and call (which we will continue to explore over the next few weeks in Genesis).