Process. I was reading the
Bible the other day, Genesis 14, and came across a cool story
which led me to some thoughts...
Our story of how we perceive
and relate to God is certainly one of process. In this chapter
there’s a guy named Abram, who became Abraham, who became the
father of all three of our worlds’ major religions (Judaism,
Christianity and Islam). Abram encountered a quirky king named
Melchizedek. I am pretty sure Melchizedek went by the name
“Mel” so he could be like his favorite actor, just like I’m
pretty sure Mel called Abram “Abe.”
Anyway, Mel recognized Abe as
a great man with great potential and had him over for dinner and
pronounced a blessing on his life. In doing this, Mel referred
to God, or Jahweh, as “God Most High, Creator of heaven and
earth” because apparently that’s about all he knew about him.
So Abe has this decision to
make...do I correct Mel and teach him the six-fold Abrahamic
covenant? Do I part ways with him because he’s not from my
family blood line, eats pork, or because he didn’t really have
God’s name right?
Not at all. At the time, Abe
was surrounded by warring tribes and bloodthirsty clans who had
no notion of Jahweh at all, so I suspect when he came across a
man who even remotely “got it” he was pretty happy to break
bread with him. I’m sure that Abe was pretty stoked at the
notion that he wasn’t the only one on the planet who saw God
his way too. In a world of polytheists and idol worshippers,
I’m sure Abe was pretty glad to have Mel in his corner. And
more than that, Abe so appreciated Mel’s perspective that he
gave him a tenth of all he owned. At this point in the game
there was no formal Jewish faith, no traditions, no written
code. Everything was raw, fresh and yet to be figured out.
Just the way Jahweh likes it.
Beam us into North America,
2007, several millennia after Abe and Mel. Lots of definition,
lots of religion, war after war after war. Lots of people who
have claimed to have Jahweh figured out and systematized and
neatly packaged in a clean set of religious rules with its own
language, music, style of dress and hair cut.
Then we, well meaning church
folk, come across a quirky person who doesn’t seem to speak our
language or wear out clothes or listen to our music, but has
this moment when they realize that there is a “God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.”
Raw, fresh and real. Maybe
they are a little rough around the edges, or don’t quite have
all the right language down yet. Maybe their lifestyle or
political views or style of dress don’t quite keep up with our
standards. But a light has gone on, and it’s our choice whether
we encourage it, or douse it.
God an infinite, spiritual,
all-present, all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect, and loving
entity who defies absolute definition. Maybe we, as
Christ-followers, have a few more pieces of the proverbial
puzzle than our quirky friends, but aren’t we glad someone had a
little grace for us along the way?
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