An Implausible Promise

An Implausible Promise
Genesis 13: 14-18

I can recall two promises God made to me that seemed unlikely to be fulfilled. Both date from about the time I became principal of a theological college in England, which in U.S. terms is a cross between being a seminary president, provost, and dean. We had a Christian leader staying on sabbatical, who one evening prayed for different members of the faculty and brought them a word from God. His word to me was, “You had a vision for the college, and you had begun to think it would never come true, but it will come true.” And there were one or two aspects of seminary life where that happened, such as a greater integration of theology, prayer, and life. The second promise was articulated by a former colleague at my installation as principal: “I will make the north wind your warmth, the snow your purity, the frost your brightness, and the night sky of winter your illumination.” I think that referred to the way God would make the hard side to my life, in particular the need to live with my wife’s increasing disability, a resource rather than merely a liability; this promise also came about...