Renew Your Mind

One of the earliest stories in Genesis is the puzzling tale of Cain and Abel Now Abel kept flocks and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering- fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Genesis 4 Why did the Lord look with favour on Abel? Richard Giles writes in 'Repitching the Tent' that Abel and Cain represented the two rival communities of nomadic herdsmen and sedentary farmers, and that at the time the nomadic lifestyle was seen to be a sign of independence and prosperity. This is in such contrast to our culture, which sees owning property as a sign of stability, wealth and success, and where our experience of those without homes is limited to negative stereotypes of squatters, homeless peop...

This year during Lent I want to read again some of the stories of God's people. It is as we tell our story that we begin to understand who we are, where we have come from and where we are going, and as we listen to others's stories we hear echoes of our own. So much of my story involves travelling, because I am an Expat who has lived now in three countries, and those around me are often asking questions about the journey that we find ourselves on. Travelling can reveal so much about who we are, through both the challenges and the excitement that it brings, and I find it inspiring that so often the stories of God's people are of people on the move- from the journey of Adam and Eve out of Eden, to the foundational Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land, and Jesus' own journey towards Jerusalem and ultimately the Cross. So as I look forward to this season of Lent, I begin with some questions- Did God mean for his people to be always on the move? Is there something i...