Abraham “is the father of us all” is how Paul puts it. Three
faiths claim what Paul proclaims. Father Abraham and Mother Sarah birthed
Judaism through Isaac. Islam’s claim came through Ishmael, the son of Sarah’s
slave. And Christianity got in through adoption. I wonder if God intended us to
consider the children of the father of many nations as extended family. I don’t
mean all branches of the family tree are able to hope against hope as the adopted
children do. The legitimate children depend on what they do to be acceptable in
the God of Abraham’s sight while we who didn’t have a prayer to be included
recognize (I hope) our fortunate son and daughter status is due to what has
been done for us. Therefore we hope against hope because truth is we were as
good as dead before the mercy and grace of God appeared in the Christ who was
handed over to death for our rebellion and raised for our justification. Given the grace extended to us there may be
room within our faith tradition to embrace the entire human family as brothers
and sisters and work towards the good of all so that the faith of the adopted
child becomes the way the other children of Abraham and Sarah and Hagar can
also hope against hope and be reconciled by the only legitimate Son who is Abraham’s
Lord.
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