The questions asked in the study are thought provoking. What would it be like to be a refugee? How important are our homes and property? What did God intend and how did Abraham understand the promise? Should anyone’s security be maintained on condition of the security of another?
Using our society and culture as a frame of reference I would think it depends. For those who have had stable ownership of property or life in a single community, I think the pull for the physical location would be very strong. I also believe in today’s society, many people are very mobile. They relocate on a regular basis and don’t necessarily own any property. It may not be as much of an issue for them, if the living conditions are of a high enough quality and a community is easily established. I think back to my family, where the land was their economic livelihood, this may be similar to what the Israelites experienced in their exile to Egypt. Not only were they away from their God, they were away from their ability to take care of their families. As a Christian, God is more personal and not dependent upon a location. This is where living in a Land of Promise would be more important, for to me a land of promise, is a place that is secure and free enough to allow the worship and beliefs I hold so dear. What does that mean about what has happened in the current state of Israel? It is beyond my ability to understand and unwind. I fear it may no longer be a place of security and freedom, where the promise to Abraham that “all the families of the earth shall be blessed”(Genesis 12:2-3) can be fulfilled.
January 11, 2010 at 4:50 pm |
I agree that the pull of physical property is strong for most people, but what happens when it ceases to exist? I’ve thought about this a bit as it seems every place my family lived (in the recent past) has disappeared. My mother was raised in a mining location on the Iron Range, and that location no longer exists as it was mined through in the 70′s, but it continues to exist in my mind. The schools I all attended in Duluth no longer exist – Jackson Elementary, Washington Jr., and Central HS have either been torn down or used for other purposes. Even the home I was raised in has been torn down, and I won’t go there anymore as it’s not pretty to see. So, what is left? Memories, mostly. Is it that we need something physical to cling to? Or, can we live with intangibles?