Abram moved forward in faith, leaving his country. It was not common sense that led him into a foreign place nor that he should have a son. It was his faith in God. Abram, "believed the Lord." This is a story about trust in a God who does not work in a logical way. This is a story about a man of faith who listened to God and became a role model because he believed in a God who does not have to make sense.
There is no way we can prove that God made a deal with Abram. The Torah says that "the word of the Lord came to him" in a vision. Was Abram hallucinating? Or, was he convinced that God had indeed spoken to him and then made good on what was promised? This we know, Abram was free to either forget what he experienced or remember it. It was Abram who remembered and the faithful who followed who chose to remember. They remembered a dependable, trustworthy God who remained faithful to the covenant that God had made.
We rely on God because we remember. We remember the illogical, irrational ways that God fulfills promises and maintains a presence in our lives. When I first began my ministry I had scarce financial resources to pay for my schooling and manage a family of five at the same time. Like most student pastors I was placed in a remote area far from essential places like libraries, museums and colleges. A retired minister offered to give me a complete twelve volume set of "The Interpreter’s Bible." I had no idea at the time how valuable this resource would become but accepted it graciously. It became an extremely helpful aid during the early years of my ministry. Now, almost twenty years later I am accessing the internet, thanks to the benevolence of a faithful elderly couple who provided the financial support for computers at our church. They are now deceased but I remember their faithfulness.
When the faithful think and act for long term results rather than short term personal gain the spirit and presence of God is magnified. And by reaping the reward of past faithfulness we are sensitized to a God who remains faithful. At Oxford University recently they replaced the gigantic oak beams in the ceiling of one of their dining halls. Officials at the university were concerned that as the beams began to rot and decay they could not be replaced. But, when the dining hall was built 500 years ago, they planted an oak grove near the university so that the beams could be replaced when the time came. Like our friends in Kettering, there is a time to plant trees and a time to cut down what is planted.
God wants us to believe and act in cosmic ways. It is no accident that God had Abram count the stars of the night sky to represent the number of descendants of the faith. Abram wanted a son and God promised millions of descendents. God wants us to see beyond the tiny little world that we live in and like Abram, God wants us to count the stars as well. Our faith can have both a cosmic and lasting affect on future generations. The stars that Abram gazed at meant more than just future descendants. They symbolized the endless ways in which God would work on behalf of the faithful.
Whenever we make a leap of faith we are relying on a God who does not always make sense. Just as Abram changed the course of his life based on divine leadership, God wants us to be willing to do the same. And by remembering the ways that God was present in the past we can be assured that God will be with us in the future.
We refrain from taking leaps of faith because we cannot see the big picture. We are narrowly focused, consumed with our agenda therefore unable to see the endless possibilities that exist and unwilling to try anything that changes the status quo. Its like being focused on the moon and missing billions of stars.
Last week I was traveling to Columbus to make a hospital visit. Part of my trip consists of back roads through Champaign County. On one particular road there was a detour. They were cutting down a row of trees along the West side of the road. I groaned since this meant a detour and possible delays. I also grunted at the unsightly tree cuttings along the side of the road. This was a wooded area that was very scenic. On my return trip I realized what was happening. They trees were being removed to make way for a cable line. This meant that folks in a remote area would receive the same service as people in a large metropolitan area. It didn’t make sense at first and I didn’t like the detour that took me out of my way. I had to travel the road a second time to understand.
Leaps of faith mean detours. And like the folks in Kettering, what doesn’t make sense now will make sense later. When we remember how God helped us in the past, like our friends at Oxford, we can continue to rely on God in the future. And, with giants of the faith, like Abram, who have paved the way through faithfulness, we too can pave the way for those who follow us.
Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio