Without getting involved in the claims of Abraham or Jewish politics, think of a situation today where the attempt to be inclusive seems to have spilt over into one that is increasingly self-centred and exclusive. What are the marks of the two communities and where are the tension points?
How does our understanding of justice and the suffering of the innocent change when read against a backdrop of a family unit or local group rather than the world? (Genesis 18)
Distinguish ‘judgements after’ (when we affirm the voice or action of God later) from ‘judgements before or during’ to redefine the meaning of faith and trust.
Select two or three recent natural disasters. See if you can find the hand of God in them, or coming out of them?
How many situations can you think of where ‘Isaac’ was sacrificed out of loyalty to the old, and what were the consequences? How many where the old was abandond to the new, and what were the benefits?
