Isaac AND Ishmael
—descendants of Abraham — Children of God’s promise— 3 March 2019 - Second Sunday of Lent Today is the second Sunday of Lent. Lent is a time of individual and community introspection. Today’s first and second readings are the lens through, which I reflected on the atrocity that took place in New Zealand this past week. The shootings in the Mosques in Quebec and New Zealand and the shootings in synagogues, African American churches, and the attacks on the members of these communities demonstrate a lack of understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures and of the Christian message and mission. Unfortunately, white power terrorists find support in a distorted view of Christianity and of Scripture embodied in the Christian Identity Movement. The first reading from the book of Genesis describes God’s covenant with Abraham, who as yet, has no biological children. Abraham has left his home in Ur in Chaldea and has done all God has asked of him. Our reading opens at the p