Thoughts for the Day

Some years ago SPCK published a book of mine called "Conversations with God". It had 50 imagined conversations between God and Old Testament character. The stories are humorous and have a modern twist, but they always make a serious point. They were broadcast on radio, and in many churches - in the latter 'God' is not seen only heard, and the bible character speaks to him, sitting sideways on to the congregation. Although out of print now, you can still find old copies on-line. I have taken this opportunity to give you the conversation between God and Abram from Genesis 12 below. Feel free to use it how you want in future, and either read it yourself, or share the reading with another person.

Where do you want me to go? (by Sharon Swain)

Abram: God?
God: Yes, Abram. What do you want?
Abram: Did I dream it, or did you ask me to go to Canaan?
God: You didn’t dream it. I did suggest you might go there.
Abram: (indignantly) Suggest I go there! As I remember it, you practically ordered me there!
God: (mildly) Did I? Well. That’s not how I remember it. It’s not my habit to order people to do anything.
Abram: Maybe you don’t think of it as ordering people about, but it’s a pretty strong person that ignores your suggestions, isn’t it?
God: Perhaps you’re right, Abram. But it’s still your choice, you don’t have to do as I ask.
Abram: Well, all right! Now about this suggestion of yours. Firstly, where on earth is Canaan?
God: (airily) It’s south, over the mountains of Lebanon.
Abram: (suspiciously) Hang on a minute! How far away is it?
God: (casually) Oh, it’s not far, really. A few hundred miles, I suppose.
Abram: You call that not far? When did you last walk this area, with its mountains and valleys, its bandits and warring tribes?
God: (slightly offended) Well I may not have walked it, but I do know what it’s like.
Abram: And that’s supposed to keep me happy is it, that you ‘know what it’s like’? Remember what you said when we left the city of Ur?
God: Can’t say I do, particularly.
Abram: You made me leave my comfortable home, in my civilised home town, and drag all my family, including my father, to Haran. ‘It’ll be a good move for you,’ you said, ‘much better than staying in Ur.’
God: Well, hasn’t it been a good move for you?
Abram: (sarcastically) Oh, sure! My father Terah’s just died! Maybe if we’d stayed in Ur he’d still be alive.
God: (positively) Well you’re halfway to your destination, and it’s time you moved on once more.
Abram: (resignedly) How am I going to tell Sarai that we’ve got to move again? She’s only just got settled into the new house.
God: (not very interested) That’s up to you, Abram.
Abram: And living in tents again! You know she hates that.
God: (tentatively) Try telling her ‘God says it’s time to move!’
Abram: (laughs) Oh, yes! Can you imagine what she’d say to that? I’ve never lived down the last time. ‘God says we’ve got to leave Ur’, I cheerfully said, as we sat on the patio one warm evening under the stars. Boy, was I naïve in those days.
God: (mildly) Well it was only a suggestion.
Abram: (ignoring God’s interruption) She’s reminded me of my statement every single day since. When we got stuck in the river, she reminded me! When we ran out of food in the desert, she reminded me! When the animals all died, she reminded me –
God: You could tell her that Canaan is the Promised Land!
Abram: (stopping in his tracks) The what?
God: The Promised Land.
Abram: (suspiciously) And what’s that – sounds like a sweet for a child!
God: (evasively) It’s the land I’ve – prepared – for my people to live in.
Abram: (still suspicious) What do you mean ‘prepared for us to live in’?
God: (avoiding the issue) Look, I promised to make you the Father of a nation, didn’t I? And a nation has to have somewhere to live. Canaan is a good place to grow food and bring up children. It has rich soil, grapes and olives grow in abundance. It’s a land of milk and honey!
Abram: (still slightly suspicious) All right, if it’s that good it would be worth going. But it still doesn’t solve the problem of how to tell the family.
God: I’m sure you’ll find a way.
Abram: (beginning to think about going) I could suggest we need a bigger place to bring up the family, what with my nephew Lot and all his people –
God: (mildly) You’re going to Canaan, then?
Abram: Well, since you’re suggesting and not ordering me to go to Canaan, I might as well give it a try. Now where did I put those tent pegs?

(c) Sharon Swain