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Abraham’s opinion

Genie Dickerson

Our Bible study that day had derailed. Family problems had come to the fore, and our study trailed far behind. Genesis 14, about Abraham, seemed irrelevant compared to modern problems. Our study participants stewed over a daughter’s silence, a son’s rebellion, a husband’s refusal to attend church and a mother’s criticism. Other participants were victims of abuse.

Crystal offered a logical explanation for the domineering tendencies and controlling behaviour we see in our society. “Some humans are born with strong egos, and others are fragile,” she said. “It’s in your genes.”

Jennifer disagreed. “It’s cultural,” she said. “I think what matters is the way children are raised and how their parents treat each other.”

“Churches and schools have the most to do with it,” opined Yong. “Do teachers and leaders favour dominant children? And are the teachers and leaders bossy themselves?” Two of the others agreed with her.

Everyone in the Bible study had spoken up on the subject by now, except for Margaret and me. I didn’t know what to say, and Margaret usually kept to herself anyway, except about the Bible.

“Back in Genesis,” Margaret now said, “we were talking about Abraham’s successful battle with the Eastern army, and how he refused to take for himself the spoils of war from the king of Sodom. Abraham turned down the booty because of his love of the Lord and his disgust with the activities of Sodom.”

The rest of us, surprised at the return to our study of religion, reopened our Bibles.

Margaret continued, “But Abraham allowed his allies to help themselves to the booty.”

One of the other women, a bit bored with Abraham, drew the talk momentarily back to our own people problems – but most of us kept our eyes on Margaret.

“What I liked most about this Bible passage,” she went on, “was the part about Abraham letting his allies make their own decisions. This passage reminds me to do as Abraham did and let people make their own decisions. I get along better with people that way.”

Ah, I thought, that explained Margaret’s good nature and her lack of personal conflicts. Now she was sharing with us the name of the “advice columnist” who had helped her. At last, I had caught on.

Genie Dickerson lives in Bellevue, Wash.

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Last modified January 31, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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