Abraham our father

Two books and a podcast have provoked an interesting and important question: What is God doing in the intersection of the three Abrahamic faith streams? Douglas Harink, “Paul among the Postliberals,” writes: “Many Christian theologians and Paul scholars since the 1940s agree on at least one fact: their work cannot go on as if Jews do not exist” (151). Being a follower of Christ who has Jewish ancestry, this is both reassuring, true, and a word to the wise to those who are unfamiliar with theology subsequent to mid 20th century. According to Harink, the events of the Holocaust and Second World War have thrust the reality of an undercurrent of anti-Jewish assumptions in Christian theology throughout the ages into a wider consciousness. Harink’s chapter on Israel pits N.T. Wright against John Howard Yoder, contrasting very opposing views on God’s purpose and intentions towards Israel. Secondly, I received Neil Gillman, “Doing Jewish Theology,” as a Christmas gift from Jacob. Gillman was a student of Abraham Joshua Heschel from 1954 to 1960 and a faculty colleague from 1960 until Heschel’s death in 1972. Heschel is one of those philosopher/theologians who crossed boundaries and gained both audience and respect from the Christian faith stream as well as Jewish. I am interested in both Heschel’s thought and the influence he brought to his Jewish faith stream. Finally,Princeton Theological Seminary, held a public lecture, “The Qur’an and Its Place in Muslim Life,” on Monday, November 23. Sohaib Sultan, Princeton University’s Muslim life coordinator/chaplain and author of The Koran for Dummies and The Qur’an and Sayings of Prophet Muhammad presented. Sultan is the Muslim chaplain on staff at Princeton University and has a passion to promote mutual understanding and dialogue between Christian and Muslim faith communities. I’m suggesting that the ongoing “War On Terror” and the ongoing bombardment of instant and constant dissemination of media news has thrust an awareness of the Muslim faith stream into Western Christian consciousness with a similar impact as the events of the Holocaust and WWII did for the Jewish faith stream. We’ve hardly begun to address the implications, but can no longer plead ignorance. For the Christians, Isaac is the son of promise and Ishmael is the forgotten step child. Abraham, in his old age but before the birth of Isaac, had this conversation with God: Gen. 17:18-19 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.” Christians tend to become temporarily deaf and blind to the next verse: Gen. 17:20 “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.” This is somewhat understandable since the next verse declares that the covenant will be with Isaac: Gen. 17:21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year” and the Christian faith stream is all about the covenant and in particular how it is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Harink, drawing on Yoder, has provided a strong case to consider that God has plans for the Jews that didn’t end with the Incarnation. Harink’s key issue is God’s faithfulness to his election and blessing. What does that thought mean regarding the promise to Ishmael in Gen. 17:20? I’m convinced that the end of the story is unknown to us at present, but we’re likely to be very surprised. The following is often preached in in a wedding ceremony, but what if the context might apply to these three faith streams that all claim father Abraham: Eccl. 4:12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him–a threefold cord is not quickly broken. We may yet learn to get along together.