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A Word From The Pastor... |
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The 17th chapter of Genesis tells of God’s covenant with Abraham and Sarah that they would be the parents of a great nation. God has made this promise before; but this time is different. This time God commands that Abraham be circumcised.
Whatever` else this procedure might mean, one thing is clear: Abraham is to do something concrete—something that will mark him for life as one who believes the promises of God. Abraham obeys and every male in his household including Ishmael is circumcised. When Isaac, the child of promise comes, he will be circumcised on the eighth day following his birth. Every male child thereafter will be circumcised.
It is important to understand that circumcision, while an individual act, is in fact the faithful act of a community. It is an act whereby a community declares its trust in the God of Abraham and Sarah and commits to raise its children to live in that promise. In this sense circumcision is like baptism; it initiates a child into a community of faith which seeks to be a visible sign of the presence of God.
On Monday, June 14, MJ’s and my grandson, Connor Russell Pattison was circumcised in a ceremony known as a brit(h)—commonly pronounced “bris”. A big deal in the Jewish community, the Weigensberg house was full of family and friends. After the ceremony there would be food and conversation and plenty of photographs. But at noon the Rabbi called us together. As the father of the father, I stood next to my son as the ancient words recalling the covenant with Abraham were recited. There in this room Connor was being grafted into a faith that goes back to before recorded history to when time was timeless.
The act of circumcision when it happened was disturbing. It is an intrusive, some might say even violent act. It is an intentional marring of a beautiful creation. Connor himself handled it like a champ. It was we who witnessed who felt the trauma. And yet for all this, it was not ugly or offensive. It was an experience of the holy.
For the hard fact is that life is full of painful and disturbing moments. Connor will experience many times when life is upsetting and discouraging; times when the outcome is not only in doubt but apparently hopeless. Yet he has been marked with a sign that links him with his spiritual ancestor Abraham who obeyed God as a concrete witness that he trusted God in all things.
As Ben and I stood there with MJ and other family and friends close by; we were no mere observers. We were standing with Connor as a sign of solidarity and community; a sign of our loving commitment to stand with this precious child in all his joys and sorrows—in short to be a sign of God’s intimate and enduring care throughout his life. It is our job to remind Connor of this love and to model it so that it becomes the pattern of his life.
Indeed this is the call on all of us to be for our children and each other reminders and evidence of the reliable love of the God who created us all.
Stewart |
