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 Abraham and
Sarah Window
Four thousand years ago, a family of Semites migrated from the city of Ur in southern Mesopotamia, to Haran in the north. From that family would come Abraham, and his wife Sarah, through whom God would begin the redemption of humanity. Abraham and Sarah were living in Haran when God called them to leave country and kindred and go to a land that God would show them. And the Lord made a covenant with Abraham: “I will make of you a great nation. . . and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abraham and Sarah went, and traveled through Canaan and Egypt, surviving famines, raiders, and jealous kings. At important junctures, God reminded them of the covenant; but Sarah was barren, so there was no heir through whom God’s promise could be fulfilled. Yet, “Abraham believed God”—he had faith. After many years, the Lord visited Abraham and Sarah, in their old age, and promised them a son. Within the year, Isaac was born, providing an heir, but also setting the stage for Abraham’s ultimate test of faith—God’s command to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Known as “the binding of Isaac,” it is the supreme example of faith in the Old Testament. Abraham passed the test, and at the last minute God provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac. Then God confirmed the covenant with an oath, because Abraham had not withheld his only son. Two thousand years later, the apostle Paul would compare it to God’s sacrifice of his only Son. Abraham’s faith was rewarded. He became the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel, and finally, the father of all who believe. The Abrahamic covenant is described as “the gospel” by St. Paul: the promise to bless not only Abraham’s family, but through them, the whole world. Jesus is the descendant of Abraham by whom the completion of the blessing finally came. If we are Christ’s, then we are also Abraham’s descendants, and heirs of the promise. The book of Genesis calls Abraham and Sarah the father and mother of nations, and through our window we honor them as our father and mother in faith. The stars illustrate God’s promise to Abraham: “Look toward heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to count them: So shall your descendants be.”
Like Stars Appearing: The Story of the Stained Glass
Windows of St. George's Episcopal Church, Dayton, Ohio | |||
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