So Abram left Egypt
and traveled north into the Negev, along with his wife and Lot and all that
they owned. (Abram was very rich in livestock, silver,
and gold.) From the Negev, they continued traveling by stages
toward Bethel, and they pitched their tents between Bethel and Ai, where they
had camped before. This was the same place where Abram
had built the altar, and there he worshiped the Lord again. Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had
also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and
many tents. But the land could not support both Abram and
Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together. So
disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. (At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were
also living in the land.) Finally
Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our
herdsmen. After all, we are close
relatives! The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land
you want, and we will separate. If you
want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll
go to the left.” Genesis 13:1-9
I’m certain this text has found its way into many a
sermon in the United Methodist Church over the years; more-so of late. Sometimes it seems leaving the UMC
is the only thing some folks care about.
With all the stubbornness of two mountain goats that meet on a narrow
path, and refuse to yield an inch, head-butting is the political death knell to
brotherhood. This is not to say that
conflict can’t have a positive effect; sometimes it is the necessary forerunner
to resolution.
It was that way for Abram and Lot. Their success was not a problem. Rather, it was an evidence of God’s
blessing. In terms of the current
stalemate of progressives vs. traditionalists in today’s UMC, Abram and Lot’s
success is a valuable reminder of the God-given progress of the Wesleyan
movement of old. Failure to make
adequate preparations for the expanded need both families would experience was
the problem. Even so, when the dispute
began to get heated, it was critical that both sides have the Abram-mind of
giving the other side a workable solution that honored brotherhood over things
and power.
That said, we must apply the principle to 2022 UMC
doings….it is a very strange and sad thing when people, who say
they serve God, can’t manage to offer God’s grace and kindness in the necessary
parting of ways.
It would be safe to say that I am firmly on the
traditionalist side of the theological issues fueling this fire of discontent
in the UMC. But I have no desire to see
judgment reign down on those in the other camp.
Nobody wins that kind of war.
Getting back to the mountain goats, I read an account told by one who knows goats well. It seems a common occurrence in places like Switzrerland’s Alps that, when two goats, going in opposite directions meet on very narrow cliff paths, one will kneel, allowing the other to step over him. In that way both can pursue their journey.
For You Today
Call it kindness, or call it wisdom to
refrain from destroying what is left of the United Methodist tribe. If we cannot act at least as kindly as goats
do with their brothers, what hope do we have of being any help to the rest of
the world?
There are about 2,000 devotional
posts on Rocky Road Devotions.
To
dig deeper into today’s topic or Scripture text: So What WOULD Jesus Do?
and Playing With Fire
[1] Images: Pixabay.com Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
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