I’ve always heard of the covenant between God and Abraham, but I never fully took a good look at it and considered what it means. The covenant required some give and take from both parties. God gave Abraham and his descendants land, and all the males gave up their foreskins. Pause. Ponder a moment. Realize: what an odd thing on which to base a trade. I had to laugh a little at the last paragraph, imagining the community-wide, most likely all-male, circumcision party that took place that day. Imagine Abraham first breaking the news to all the guys! Then, I thought about the revelry – and complaining – that must have taken place. Oh, those poor wives! 😉 God does have a sense of humor.
The foundation of this chapter isn’t circumcision, however. It is the land that was betrothed to Abraham. A piece of land. How many deals have been brokered over a piece of land? For a small-town girl like me, who grew up watching farmers and ranchers and then became a reporter who covered land transactions and nerdy stuff like that, it’s pretty darn special. Wars have been fought and are still being fought over lands. We all can realize that by looking at the Middle East, and I’ve learned even more about land disputes since living in SE Asia. Most Cambodians don’t own the lands their ancestors cultivated for years because all the deeds were destroyed in the Khmer Rouge. It’s been a years-long struggle with the government, and lives have been lost over land. It makes the lyrics, “This land is your land. This land is my land. … this land is made for you and me,” sing a little differently, doesn’t it?
Writing prompt: My lands!
Write a story about your favorite outdoor spot or a plot if land you own. What if someone took it away from you?
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