On a recent visit to Chicago, I found myself saying, over and over, "and this is where…." As a child growing up in Nashville, I'd looked forward to our family's regular trips to the "Windy City"—and not just because of the Museum of Science and Industry and Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicago was the city where my mom was born and raised, where my parents met, married, and started a family, and, most importantly for me, where we gathered several times a year with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. In short, it was a place of formative memories, of moments of grace and nurture, of the goodness of extended family and life itself.
Today's reading is largely a nostalgia trip around named places in the Holy Land. When we remind ourselves that this text probably took shape in the time of Exile, we begin to get a sense of how important it was to the people of Israel to associate particular places with the very presence of God. "It was there that God revealed…." "It was there that God promised…." "It was there…."
We may not set up stone pillars anymore, but we can take from our Genesis story a helpful reminder to mark those spaces in our lives where God shows up: in the hospital room, in the work cubicle, at the park, at the men's shelter or the shut-in's house. Sometimes, in our own homes, and even occasionally in church!
Researchers are now pointing to the value of nostalgia, something the biblical writers indicated long ago. But nostalgia's not only good for our own sense of identity and belonging; it's a good way to tell others our story and to make connections with theirs. "And this is where," indeed.
- Reflect on sacred spaces in your life. Where has God shown up, and whom have you told about it?
- How might you join with a loved one or friend to "set up a pillar" to commemorate God's goodness?
- What other details did you notice in today's reading?
Prayer: We know you're always with us, O God, but we're also grateful for those moments and places where we really meet you. Help us pause long enough to say, "and this is where God showed up." Amen.
Breath Prayer: It was there // that God revealed.
