Tangent
Even in the darkest hour, there is hope.
And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him. Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink. - Genesis 21:17-19
As an offshoot of the main story about Abraham and his son Isaac, is this tangential story of the first born of Abraham with the servant Hagar.
We brush it aside as though it is not that important, but God heard the cry of the boy and kept him alive to become a great nation, just like his step brother, Isaac.
It tells us something about how God works among His people. He loves them all and does all He can to help them.
It makes me wonder why the descendants of both of these children remain at odds so many generations later.
What is it about us that we have to be the one and only, rather than one of two or more?
I think the problem is we see one way as right and all others as wrong.
What if there are multiple solutions to the puzzle? What if we are wrong about being right?
The Gospel of John makes it clear there is only one path to the Father, and that is through the Son.
Does that help bring us together or keep us apart?
If two brothers are headed to the same place and one chooses a different path than the other, we would postpone judgment on which chose the better path until the destination is reached by one or the other.
So, why can't we accept each other's choices and let the journey play out?
If in our righteousness we believe we need to save those who take the other path, then why are we not running after them to help them turn around?
If we choose to judge, then we should also choose to help redeem. Doing one without the other has no value.
So, let us both enjoy our journey, and let each invite those who have no path to follow to come along. Together, we will see where the roads lead.
More to come...