Given by Rev. Madison Shockley March 8, 2020

Our reading today comes from the foundational texts of the Bible. It is one of the foundational texts of our culture. It is a story of a journey. The story of humankind is one of movement and change. Our story tells us of Abraham being told by God to go on a journey to the Promised Land. This journey brought him to the land of Canaan, known today as Palestine. It was already occupied by the Canaanites.  Today, we know there is great conflict between Israel and Palestine over this small sliver of land. The story implies that it was God’s will for the Israelites to have this land. Yet, this is a narrative of Abraham’s journey written a thousand years later. It is a story of a monarchy justifying its existence. Abraham did not know where he was going. The real question is do you know where you are and how you got here. We need to know our own story, both as a people and as an individual. A story is told in the present about the past that was telling the future. Think for a moment about what is your story. If we live with justice, that will be the story our descendants will tell. Let us live a story that makes future generations proud.
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