Genesis Vayera 18:1-22:24

Abraham and Sarah are living in Caanan in this chapter. The patriarch and matriarch were getting and old. Abraham knew that Sarah medically could not have a baby. God could have end L'dor V'dor right then and there. Instead, God says to Sarah that she will bore a new born at the next season and Sarah laughs for she is very old and can not. In the last chapter they tried to solve this issue, Abraham bore a child with his servant. She bore the child, Ishmael. To Sarah's surprise she bore Issac, as God had guaranteed. Even though Issac was the child who was chosen to carry on as heir of the Hebrews, God promised that Abraham his children would be upheld by all the world's nations.

I think of Abraham as the patriarch of 3 faiths. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Sarah bore Issac, father of the Hebrews. Christianity is a form of "evolved Judaism." Jesus was a Jewish man. Finally, Ishmael is considered father of the Arabs. Is God true when the Torah states, "All of the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants." (Genesis 22:18)?

Below is a world religion map. It is hard to see, so I posted the link to see it more clear.(http://www.wadsworth.com/religion_d/special_features/popups/maps/matthews_world/images/w001.jpg) Most of the modern world is Jewish, Christian, or Islamic. However, parts of it are not. India's major religion is Hinduism. (magenta colored countries) is In China, it is Buddhism. (orange colored countries) It makes some sense that these parts of the world are not where there are the "3 Abraham Faiths". Abraham left Mesopotamia to go west to Canaan. Ancient Persia was not visited by the Jews until about the time of Esther. Ancient China was never visited by the Jews. It makes us wonder what the world would be like had Abraham gone east.

“There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.”
―Linus Van Pelt in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"

Although written as a comedic statement this is very true. People generally are opposed to differences. Why? They should not be. I enjoy to learn about different cultures, and religions. Spanish has been a very amusing language to discover. We are brought up to follow the values of our ancestors. But just as trees do in nature, we must learn to intertwine our roots.