...So What? (A Look at 1 Chronicles)
When I first began reading 1 Chronicles my first reaction was the same as a friend of mine commented, “So what? Why is it important to know who 'begat' whom?" Another told me, “The first few chapters are good if you have insomnia, you’ll be asleep in no time!” And I admit, when I began the reading, I was...well…bored.
It reminded me of the time I went with my family to the Highland Games at Stone Mountain. My maiden name is Forester, so we set off to find the Clan Forester. We found several different booths that “claimed” our family name, but we continued searching until we found our family…and so I began reading through my family genealogy of our own book of “begats,” and there I found my grandfather’s name and my father’s name. It gave me a sense of belonging to see the connectedness of the generations among my family.
Why is it important to know the family lineage? Maybe it’s because it provides us a center or roots in this world - an identity beyond ourselves. In Israel, it was important to validate the lineage of each family as each one had a significant role in the life of the community and worship. And yet, as we find out more about the history in each family we also find those stories about family heroes or characters.
In the movie “Hitch,” Will Smith is on a first date with a girl he wants to impress. He does a little research before the date and finds that her family came to the United States through Ellis Island and finds the signature of her great-great-grandfather on the logs as they signed in. Little did he know that this person was a criminal from Puerto Rico and caused the family great shame so they never speak of him. Needless to say, he didn’t get the reaction he expected from his date.
The same is true in Chronicles, as we moved beyond the “begats” we found stories about Saul and David and Solomon; stories of great faith and great personal disaster. We all have these family stories if we look into our history – some of great triumph, some of quiet lives, and those we’d rather not mention outside the family. Although they may be part of the story of our family, they do not define who we are…that is determined within our own lifetime. How are you living into the story of your life?
It reminded me of the time I went with my family to the Highland Games at Stone Mountain. My maiden name is Forester, so we set off to find the Clan Forester. We found several different booths that “claimed” our family name, but we continued searching until we found our family…and so I began reading through my family genealogy of our own book of “begats,” and there I found my grandfather’s name and my father’s name. It gave me a sense of belonging to see the connectedness of the generations among my family.
Why is it important to know the family lineage? Maybe it’s because it provides us a center or roots in this world - an identity beyond ourselves. In Israel, it was important to validate the lineage of each family as each one had a significant role in the life of the community and worship. And yet, as we find out more about the history in each family we also find those stories about family heroes or characters.
In the movie “Hitch,” Will Smith is on a first date with a girl he wants to impress. He does a little research before the date and finds that her family came to the United States through Ellis Island and finds the signature of her great-great-grandfather on the logs as they signed in. Little did he know that this person was a criminal from Puerto Rico and caused the family great shame so they never speak of him. Needless to say, he didn’t get the reaction he expected from his date.
The same is true in Chronicles, as we moved beyond the “begats” we found stories about Saul and David and Solomon; stories of great faith and great personal disaster. We all have these family stories if we look into our history – some of great triumph, some of quiet lives, and those we’d rather not mention outside the family. Although they may be part of the story of our family, they do not define who we are…that is determined within our own lifetime. How are you living into the story of your life?
posted by Clergy Chick at 6:14 AM
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