Fr. Patrick Funston — Abraham and the Visitors at Mamre Marc Chagall,...

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Abraham and the Visitors at Mamre
Marc Chagall, 1885-1985Some thoughts on this week’s bulletin art
This summer we will be following the narrative track of the Old Testament lectionary which will begin by taking us through the stories of the...

Abraham and the Visitors at Mamre
Marc Chagall, 1885-1985

Some thoughts on this week’s bulletin art

This summer we will be following the narrative track of the Old Testament lectionary which will begin by taking us through the stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs.  On Sunday, we began our journey with the story of Abraham and Sarah at Mamre, the story of the couple’s interaction with three visitors.

While providing hospitality to the three strangers, they visit a prediction upon the couple that they will have a son soon, a promise previously made several times by God to Abraham.  Sarah responds with laughter.

Christians tend to look back at the encounter at Mamre as evidence of the trinitarian nature of God. Three strangers come and make a prediction that only God had made previously, a prediction that does indeed come true.

Chagall’s painting of Mamre is, like a lot of Chagall’s work, colorful and beautiful.  Chagall, a Jewish painter of Russian and French descent, chooses to represent the trio of strangers as angels, a more Jewish interpretation of the event.

Whether they are God Godself or angels, the message of the story is clear: hospitality to strangers is blessed with confirmation of Abraham and Sarah’s greatest wish, the birth of a son.

As we begin to transition out of the intensity of our capital campaign, construction will continue for many months around St. Paul’s.  As the construction workers continue their work, our work of hospitality is only just beginning.  The easiest thing we can do is to recognize the presence of Christ in all who walk through our doors, we will be blessed by relationship with them.

=Fr. Patrick

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