Lent 2 Homily - Liberal/Conservative Clash in Ancient Bible Editors

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Though the Sunday readings focus on Abraham's faith I thought it would be good to look at Abraham and Moses together. The more I read about Abraham in commentaries and looked at articles online the more it struck that his story is an archetype of a very different history from the people who looked up to Moses.  The fans of Moses and the fans of Abraham even have contrasting styles of Hebrew (Yahwist and Elohist). They reflect the different cultural stories between those who stayed behind after the Babylonian Exile and those who were deported. It struck me that the deported had a much more focused conservative faith while those who remained were more liberal and accommodated to the pagan culture around them. 

Well, its the classic liberal/conservative clash! No doubt when the deported returned there was a long period of adjustment between the two versions of Judaism. The Hebrew Canon is a testimony to their sorting out their differences. Not that I am trying to demythologize the stories. Far from it. Rather I am claiming that even the editorial style is part of the revelation. Side-by-side, the Moses tradition, and the Abraham tradition could be seen as a catechetical lesson. 

So, how to communicate this in layman's terms? My thought was to compare two religious pillars of American society - Martin Luther King and Billy Graham (who just died.) I believe that their voices are like those two Biblical characters, each having something important for us to hear. 




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