Advent Devotions

Today’s author is Prince of Peace member Bob Reichman.

Genesis 12:1-9

Back in the late ’80s and well into the ’90s, we were members of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Circle Pines, where George Johnson was the pastor. (We returned to Our Savior’s later and were members when Steve Sylvester — yes, that Steve Sylvester — was the pastor.) I was not well-, ahem, versed in the Bible at that time, and although Pastor George came to know me well and probably became aware of that, I’m not suggesting that I’m the sole reason that he decided the congregation needed some Bible basics.

I think because he believed many of us were lacking Bible knowledge he offered us two classes, one of which was called something like “Walk Through the Bible,” and the other was called, well, something else. One was a quick survey, while the other was more detailed. I took both.

I learned a lot and was struck by a couple of things. For example, despite all the different types and styles of writing, I became aware as I never had been before of the discernible through line from start to finish, as long as you don’t let yourself get distracted by idiosyncrasies, contradictions and things that just seem plain wrong to our way of thinking. Most importantly, Jesus didn’t just come up with “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” out of nowhere. It’s right there in Deuteronomy and Leviticus.

The idea in the more comprehensive class that grabbed me and has stuck with me ever since is in Genesis 12: “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.’ ” He was blessed to be a blessing.

We don’t receive God’s blessing because we deserve it. We don’t get it because God likes me more than you or us more than them. (I had a pastor friend, Bud Dixen, who used to jokingly say, “God loves everybody … but I’m his favorite.” If God had favorites, he would probably have been among them, but that’s another story.)

The truth is we are blessed to be a blessing to others and to the world. We are meant to share our gifts and the love of God universally, not just with our family and friends and the people we feel comfortable with. Although his legacy is complicated, especially with regard to his Jewish heritage, which he seldom acknowledged, I like to think that verse came from the recesses of the mind of Marvel’s Stan Lee when he linked Spider-man to the phrase, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Prayer
Help us, God, to use our gifts, whatever they may be, not for selfish goals but to be a blessing to all the world.