Genesis 22 Poem: Here I am

 

The weight of things so far
—Abraham getting in his own way
—Sara sold to Pharoah,
Hagar and Ishamel cast out…
Covenants with various local rulers punctuated with piercing violence
the threats to God’s promise continually so great
—that everything that is not promise is stripped away
—anything that is of Abraham’s own volition
—eviscerated… evicted… vaporized.
Only grace, only God’s act on his behalf—on our behalf—remains.

 

HERE I AM

Your son (which one),
your only son (I had two sons),
the one you love (I love them both),
Isaac!

There is a scarcity in that
—the only piece of the promise left
—your loved one
—up in smoke, slaughtered like Barbeque.

The promise gone…
have I chase after just another god,
one of those petty hungry creatures
—leading you on, thinning you out,
wanting, needing,
a greedy little god,
gobbling up a wink and nod promise.

 

HERE I AM

He silently, professionally, goes to work.
A flurry of motion. Rise, saddle, take, cut, set out, go the distance.

Dissociative,
separated from the horror by action
—doing so he doesn’t have to be a being
—a human being…
a human being to the flame!

 

HERE I AM

They leave Isaac’s peers behind, on that Hill—Moriah.

Going up alone, it is ominous.

No one to help him, no one to stop him.

 

HERE I AM

Here I am, my son.

Where is the Lamb?

He will provide… my son

He will provide a Lamb?

This is a crux:
is faith an anesthetic,
or is there something there?
Is Abraham’s promise to Isaac an echo of The Promise?

 

HERE I AM

The angel calls Abraham’s name twice, before he responds. Here I am.

So focused, was he.

Focused on this horrific act… focused again on doing, not being…

But his name calls him back.

“Here I am,” he replies
to the frantic angel,
intervening,
“Don’t!”
Your awe and devotion—it is complete.
Please do not complete the sacrifice.

 

HERE I AM

Instead use that awe and devotion to see!

“Lift up your eyes”

Like Hagar before you,
see what is already provided for you!

Your words to Isaac weren’t just words
—they were real, were Promise.

Providence is not a whisper of sweet nothings.
God provides for you!

 

HERE I AM

Behold the Lamb!

Open your eyes to see the sacred!

There is a substitute for sacrifice!

Keep your eyes peeled,

be awake,

you will see,

see the fullness of God’s promise.

On the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided.