This summer we come to one of my favorite parts of the lectionary cycle. From now, until nearly Advent, we follow the adventures of the patriarchs and the Israelites in the books of Genesis and Exodus. The cycle begins in familiar territory to most of us—Abram is called by God and asked to “go to a land that God would show him.”
For many of us, one of the tell-tale signs of “summer”
is the classic summer vacation. As I’m
writing this, my family and I have traveled across Arkansas and Oklahoma to the
great plains of Kansas. We’re seeing the
“golden waves of grain” on our drives, and basking in the summer sunshine where
the sun’s light won’t fade until nearly 10 pm!
Some of you have been traveling for graduations and birthday
celebrations and visits with children and grandchildren, too. And there will be trips to the beach and the
mountains and the far west coast!
And for the dog days of summer (as some people
call them), on Sundays we’ll be following the stories of ancient travelers who
moved about creation following the voices of God and of God’s messengers, who
encounter strange happenings and whose journeys are marked by signs of God’s
presence that reminds them and us of God’s abiding promises.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, their wives and
families; and eventually, a whole nation formed by famine and fleeing and
enslavement and escape and wilderness and wandering. And there’s amazing stuff to see and hear
about! In church …and in our
travels!
One of the most amazing things to me has been
to re-learn what I think about our ancient ancestors. Today, we travel by planes, trains, ships, and
automobiles—both great and small distances.
We cover great chucks of territory in pretty short order; and it’s
pretty easy to think that in the ancient world, people didn’t travel …or they
at least didn’t travel very far. …But
that thinking is pretty off the mark!
Maybe not with our speed, but ancient peoples
were travelers, too. The Magi? That was a great distance, navigated by the
stars. And ancient people, long before
the Romans, created trade routes that extended far into Asia and Europe, far
from the world of the Israelites and the Egyptians. In North America, scientists have archeological
evidence demonstrating not only that ancient people traveled long distances,
but somehow circumnavigated the globe—even tens of thousands of years before
biblical times!
Human beings travel. And God travels with us. Sometimes God is the reason we travel—as in, “go
to the land that I will show you.”
Sometimes, we try and run away from problems, or to escape from
conditions we don’t like. Sometimes we’re
seeking to start over, or looking for second chances, or just to relax and recuperate
with a nice view. Sometimes we “have to
get there;” while other times, we’re just along for the ride, or out for a
Sunday drive.
Wherever this summer may take you—literally or
figuratively—keep your eyes peeled. God
is with us, wherever we’re roaming, or even if we’re just couch-sitting. See what it is that God would “show you.” Listen for the voice of the one who would
seek to guide us to and fro, and who promises to be with us always. Mark down the places where you find God is
near—even if that seems far, or far-fetched.
And remember to tell us all, at some point, where you were and what you
did this summer …when God was with you.
The journey isn’t always about the end; the adventure is always what happens along the way. Enjoy your time, take advantage of the breezes, bask in all God’s realm. Just bring home some stories!
