A Covenant Calling

Genesis 9: 8-11

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

We tell ourselves a story that this season, which is rightfully filled with self-reflection and examination, is limited to the abundance of our own weaknesses and temptations. The story of God is one of abundant grace and love and mercy. The story of God we know from scripture is one of a covenant that is so loving and all-encompassing that we cannot comprehend it.

God made a covenant with creation after the flood. This time of utter destruction could have ended in a complete break of relationship with God. It could have been a time of scarcity that depleted any reserves that humanity had for relationship with God, one another, or creation.

Instead, in the wake of destruction, we witness a story of redemption. This covenant is everlasting. This everlasting covenant transcends all of what we might see as weakness. This everlasting covenant is a holy promise of deep and abiding love.

It’s difficult to imagine something so indestructible in a world full of broken promises, divided and harmed by word and deed. So often we focus on our weaknesses and the perceived shortcomings of others, but the covenant we have with God and God keeps with us compels us to be more than observers.

This way of life is a covenant way of being. It is from an abiding and miraculous love that God made a covenant with creation, and it is in this love we expose our weaknesses and place them on the altar to be broken open. Weakness, in this case, is not failure, but empowerment. We become empowered throughout this season, in love and covenant, to turn to the one who is mighty to save.

We are called to rest on this power, to abide in this covenant, and to turn from that which tempts us away from relationship with creation and with God. So for today, and through this holy season we pray that we might have the strength to break open our hearts so that the unbroken love of God might abide with us to heal a broken and hurting world.

prayer

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.