A Thought For The Week Of November 30, 2015

"Then they said, 'Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.'" (Genesis 24:57) Over the last few days I've been reading some of the stories in the Book of Genesis. They're fascinating glimpses of a different culture whose stories continue to impact Christian faith today. Genesis 24 - the story of Isaac and Rebekah - struck me as especially interesting. We don't often think of that culture or that era as being particularly respectful of women, but I was struck in this chapter by the respect that gets shown to Rebekah. All the decisions were hers. If she didn't want to travel to Canaan to marry Isaac, she didn't have to. After she made the decision, her family wanted her to delay the journey by spending ten more days with them - but the decision was hers. We tend to think of women in that era and culture being treated as possessions to be bought and sold and traded away for various reasons - to bring wealth or to cement alliances. But not here. Everything is left up to Rebekah. She's not a possession to be passed on as her brothers desire. She's got the right to decide her future. Quite apart from the fact that Rebekah may be striking a blow for women's rights here, it strikes me that there's an important theological point being made here. You can't be forced to do God's will or to be God's servant. God just doesn't operate that way. Our willingness to be faithful to God has to come from within. It has to be a choice. I find this meaningful as we stand at the beginning of the Advent season and reflect upon the call of God to a young woman named Mary. She - like Rebekah - made the choice to devote her life to God's will, whatever that might bring her. Perhaps that's one of the challenges for us to reflect upon as we progress through Advent toward Christmas.