Saturday, May 3, 2008

Reflections (a little way in) Part 2

Several people have asked what motivated me to start walking and I hope I’ve already explained a little about that. However, there is more that touches me in a deeper place and I hope, as I try and explain it, it touches you too.

Again, Walter Brueggeman’s marvellous writings are to the fore for me in explaining some of the Bible’s perspectives on land. This is a big claim to make but I believe, justified. I last read his book The Land in November 2005 (Oh dear! Yes, I do keep track) and I’m afraid some of the more subtle theological arguments went over my head then, but that said, I consumed the book. I've emboldened that word 'consumed' because I couldn’t read it quickly enough and yet, wanted to devour and savour every word.

One of his key passages relates to how God stands with the poor against those who seek to take the land from them. It is in this spirit somehow that I seek to identify with the land as I walk – poor with the poor – bringing nothing but wanting to give all. The challenge for me is to learn to do that – to give all and give it all the time. The land itself becomes a gift when we covenant with God to follow his restructuring of our relationship with it. We see that in the story of Joshua and Caleb who recognised the land as a gift from God 40 years ahead of their generation. We can 'take possession' (Heb. nahal) of the land - take it little by little (Ex 23.29) and the Lord will establish our borders (Ex 23.31) - there is so much in these few words to understand about occupying the land.

I am still learning how that works in our day and age and learning to conquer the feelings of inadequacy that keep rising up. The words "I will not drive them out in a single year...but...little by little" is one of the reasons for walking slowly. I am praying for the Spirit of God to release revelation about the gifting and occupying aspects of the land as we do that.

Brueggeman says

“A new word is spoken that redefines the relation of people and the land in which they already sojourn. That is what God does. He speaks to restructure the relation of land and people. What had been threat becomes promise. What had been coveted becomes gifted.”

I almost think I’d like to go back to the start of the walk and do it all again(!) but we must push on, learning as we go. And as we do so, let’s gift ourselves to the places we pass through. Jesus did not stint at giving himself because he knew to whom and where the Father was sending him and that he might not pass that way again.

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