Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?” Abraham laughed at the prospect of fatherhood at 100 — it was not funny “ha ha” but funny ridiculous. God turned the joke on its head by naming the child Isaac, that is to say “he laughed.” Abraham thought the plan of God ridiculous and God claimed it nonetheless. We too can imagine God’s vision for the world — a place of peace and justice, a place characterized by forgiveness and compassion, a place where the poor and cared for and the hungry are fed — to be ridiculous. How could such a thing be possible given the perversity of human nature. But God names us as isaacs as well, laughing because the loftiest hope is the surest of being fulfilled.
JUNE302023
By Church Staff
