Genesis 12

Come and listen to a story ‘bout a man named Abe,

Lived ‘mongst the heathen

Not a one of ‘em was saved.

The one day sumthin’ happened kinda odd,

Out in the wilderness he was visited by God. 

(Jehovah, that is. The deity.)

Well, the first thing you know ol’ Abe’s a faithful guy,

Kin folk said, 

“Now you’re gonna die.”

Said Canaan is the place you oughta be,

So he loaded up the camels and made for the oaks of Mamre. 

(The bush, that is. Wells. Dirt. Famine.)

Y’all come back now!

Abram, the proto-Israelite, provided us with the premiere example of “The Pilgrim.” Prior to Abe, everybody is trying to put down roots to keep from being blown off of the earth. Cain is building cities; the Tower of Babel, too. Now here comes Abram, an urbanite, who is bid to drop his civilized ways and take up a wandering road and pilgrim’s staff. Abram personifies for us the man who is not settled in this world; who refuses to settle for just this world. He leaves home and goes to a place that God will show him. Where is that? He has no idea.

©2020 Joel Picard