Whoever put Genesis together thought this was an important story to tell, at length.  How do we use the power we have, and how will that affect future generations?  And what if the most powerful thing we can do, the greatest legacy, is to let go of vengeance, to weep and grieve for the sins of our ancestors and our own, to love those who have treated us like an enemy, and to protect vulnerable life rather than subdue it.

Abram and Sarai’s story (and the author who wrote it) speaks about the positive impact that wrestling with our faith/God can have on us. God seemingly calls Abram and offers a promise in return. Then later adds more detail, and all the while Abram is grappling with what the call and promise means. In this sermon Marty connects “contending” with “theologizing” – the act of doing theology not as a destination or doctrine; but as a dialogue and a spiritual discipline that can enliven faith. The title playfully explores how in Genesis 12 God promises Abram and Sarai more kids than sand on earth, and in Gen 15 God promises more kids than stars in the sky.

So the question isn’t whether we are or aren’t “like God.”  There’s no going back to the innocence of the garden.  A better question, and more difficult one to live out, is how we can embody divine attributes – like forgiveness, justice, mercy, and reconciliation – while discerning which fruits we are not yet spiritually and morally mature enough to eat, even if the tree is right there for picking.

This movement and mobility of Naomi and Ruth–we see this around us every single day as people make hard decisions to leave parents, friends, families, communities they love to seek something different. These decisions are not made lightly–being a stranger or a newcomer is never easy–and is something many of us can relate to.