The God Who Sees the Women, Part 2
Then Abraham took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before [the three travelers]; and he stood by them under the tree where they ate. They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” – Genesis 18:8-9 (NRSV)
It was Abraham, called by God and head of a painfully dysfunctional family, who looked up from the shady resting spot in front of his tent and saw three unfamiliar men standing nearby. It was Abraham, faithful to God and to his culture’s tradition of life-saving hospitality, who took it upon himself to serve the wayfaring strangers—by enlisting the help of his wife and his servant.
And so it was Abraham, proud and probably awaiting an expression of gratitude, who stood by silently as his guests enjoyed their meal.
But when the guests—identified in the story as a manifestation of God—had eaten their fill, they did not lavish their attention on Abraham. Instead, they asked where his unseen partner was. They called her by name.
Which is to say: While Abraham thought everything happening was a reflection on him, actually it was about (a) those objectified and used by the more powerful, and (b) God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.
And isn’t that the way it always is with God?
We walk through life—and, sometimes, even our faith journeys—as if everything is about us. God, meanwhile, is busy fulfilling promises, healing hearts, and transforming entire systems and ways of being. While we focus on performance and reputation, God attends to the business of love, grace, justice, and lifting up the lowly and left out.
Prayer
For seeing me when others don’t and encouraging me to make room for those I’ve overlooked, thank you.
About the AuthorVicki Kemper is the Pastor of First Congregational, UCC, of Amherst, Massachusetts.