Faith for the Journey

With the call of Abram in Genesis 12 the story that began back in Eden now takes a different direction.   Prior to this moment the relationship with God has been based on obedience and doing the right thing.  While Abram is still called to live in an obedient relationship with God, faith is now an operative part of the equation.  This is made clear in the very beginning of the Abraham narrative.  "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.' "  (Genesis 12:1) 

 

It is no small thing which God puts before Abram.  Everything familiar, everything which speaks of  security, and everything defining thing about his life is what he is being challenged to put behind him.  At age 75 what God is calling him to do is an extraordinary thing.  What is surprising is that there is no Moses like battle, or no rich young ruler hesitation.  Instead when God finishes with what He had to say, the Scripture says, "So Abram went, as the Lord told him..."  (Genesis 12:4)

 

As Celtic spirituality developed long centuries ago, Abraham became a model for those who felt the call of God to submit themselves to the discipline of pilgrimage.  Unlike those who traveled to some shrine or designated holy place, the Celtic pilgrim would cast out into the water in a round basket like boat called a coracle.  As the pilgrim cast off the shore, there was no oar for steering the boat.  Instead the pilgrim set out to go wherever God led him.  As we catch the image of these ancient saints casting off to go wherever God would take them, we can see why Abraham was such a powerful spiritual model for them.  And, we can also see how hard it is for us to turn loose all the controlling mechanisms in our journey with God.