08 The Spiritual Ancestry of Christian Community - Conclusion
A summary of the diverse history of the Israelite people and a call to humility.
And that’s a wrap! Thank you so very much for joining me in my exploration of the Spiritual Ancestry of Christian Community. It really has meant a lot to be able to share my learning with you and deeply motivating to know that my writing might benefit others beyond the classroom!
We’ve covered a lot of ground in seven blog pieces and I therefore wish to bring attention to the overall arc of it all. After all, it was this big-picture view of the Hebrew Bible which sucked me into writing a whole blog series rather than just the one post!
What has struck me throughout this research project is the evolution of the Israelite community over time, and its relation to changing sociopolitical factors. From being an enslaved people, to being a people in the wilderness, to making it to the promised land, to having leadership issues, to growing in affluence and stability as a nation through the monarchy - but at the cost of straying from God’s covenantal laws (as highlighted by the prophets), to being a people in exile, to returning home under imperial rule, to re-defining themselves as a community and canonizing their story.
In the history of the Israelite people we see times of being nomadic and times of stability, times of being oppressed and times of being oppressive, times of land ownership and times of being landless, times of being a majority culture and times of being a minority culture. Through these times there have been different leadership styles, different social models, different forms of worship and evolving laws. Through it all, God has been perceived to work through their history, speaking through different events, messengers and leaders. And through it all, there is a sense of humility and urgency to do better for God’s sake.
Humility. Yes. If I were to pick one key takeaway from the Hebrew Bible as a documentation of our spiritual ancestry, it would be the witness and example of humility. Humility to accept that times change. Humility to acknowledge faults - both past and present. Humility to accept the limitations of humanity. Humility to accept and canonize multiple viewpoints. Humility to feel the greatness of God. Humility to trust God. Humility to listen to God - in prayer and through others. And … a kick of bravery to respond to God’s call.
As we continue to journey with God through history, let us remember to be humble and brave!
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