The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade; leahschade@gmail.com
Here are ideas for reading and preaching Genesis 18:1-10a, the story of Abraham’s hospitality under the Oaks of Mamre. This text is assigned for July 17th, 2022, the sixth Sunday after Pentecost in the Revised Common Lectionary. This is part of the EcoPreacher 1-2-3 series to equip preachers and congregations for engaging the Bible through an ecological lens.
The Oaks of Mamre play an important role in the story of Abraham’s hospitality toward God’s messengers. How can our congregations honor and protect trees today as a sign of our hospitality toward God’s Creation?
Genesis 18:1
“The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day.”
Eco-Exegesis
Eco-exegesis is a method of interpreting the biblical text through a green lens using the principles of ecological theology. For this passage, we turn to Eco Bible, a Jewish ecological commentary on the Hebrew texts.
Nearly every important character or event in Scripture is marked with a tree. From the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, trees play a significant role in the faith of God’s people. The story of Abraham and the three divine visitors at the Oaks of Mamre is one of those pivotal moments in the history of the Jewish people. And it takes place in the shade of trees.
According to Eco Bible, “Rabbeinu Chananel [an 11th century Tunisian scholar and author] asked why the angels revealed themselves to Abraham under a tree. He answered that in doing so they revealed a message to Abraham: ‘You, like a tree, will flourish even in your old age . . .’” (37).
We might imagine the scene of a hot summer day, the grasses brown and crisp from the unrelenting sun. But in a cool, green, oak grove, the elderly couple pitch their tent and find respite from the heat. Their cattle and sheep, like Sarah and Abraham, are dozing beneath a canopy of leaves and branches that protect them from the sun.
The roots of these trees reach beneath the dried surface of the land to find the water hidden deep in the soil. Today, science teaches us that the roots of trees interconnect in a fungal network that ensures the health of these giant wooded plants. They communicate with each other in mysterious ways of reciprocity so that water, nutrients, and protection against pests is shared among them.
The mysterious strangers who appear at Abraham’s tent also bring gifts of reciprocity, which the old man’s generosity unleashes. He bows deeply as a sign of honor and respect. He gives them water for washing and drinking, as well as bread and meat to eat. In turn, they give him the message that he and his wife will miraculously conceive a child. Thus, they assure him that his lineage will continue for generations upon generations.
As Eco Bible observes, “Abraham’s resilience and prosperity are compared to a tree. Indeed, trees are one of the most resilient organisms, specifically against drought. This is increasingly important in light of climate change causing unpredictable rainfall, extreme weather events, and stronger pests that threaten forests.” What’s more, researchers have discovered that “‘forests with trees that employ a high diversity of traits related to water use suffer less of an impact from drought.’ They are also more resilient to forest fires” (37).
Congregations today must also tap into the resilience exemplified by Abraham and the Oaks of Mamre. Even if your congregation is made up of mostly older members, you can connect with other congregations to sustain each other in relationships of reciprocity. The wisdom of the elders can root the faith of younger generations. At the same time, the energy and able-bodied enthusiasm of the youth can sprout like young saplings within a forest of faith.
These networks of congregations are especially important as communities will be hit with climate impacts and other environmental threats. Interfaith hospitality, reciprocity, and mutual respect are the keys to resilience which can ensure survival and longevity. Now is the time to initiate or strengthen those relationships under the Oaks of Mamre.
1. Eco-Idea
The Eco-Idea is one succinct statement that tells us who God is and/or what God does in relation to Creation and how we should respond as people of faith.
Just as God sustained Abraham and Sarah’s faith under the Oaks of Mamre in a moment of gracious reciprocity, we can help sustain God’s Creation – and each other – with hospitality, generosity, and resilience.
2. Eco-Questions
Eco-Questions are what we can ask to help a congregation draw out the implications of the Eco-Exegesis and Eco-Idea.
- What old growth forest is closest to your congregation? How do the ancient trees in that area act as pillars of the ecosystem? In what ways do they hold together the soil, supply food and shelter to insects and animals, and provide resilience for the forest? What can we learn from these trees about sustaining our own faith through steadfastness, resilience, and hospitality?
- What are the scientific names of the trees on or near your church property? What does your property committee do to care for them? How do these trees contribute to the beauty, cooling, and run-off absorption of the church?
3. Eco-Actions
Eco-Actions are ways that a congregation might respond to the Eco-Idea and Eco-Questions. One of these possibilities may have salience for your ministry context.
- Invite someone from your local natural lands trust to give a presentation to your congregation about the importance of protecting the trees in those places. Also, plan a church field trip to visit the site and see it first-hand. Consider taking up a special collection to support the work of the natural lands trust as an extension of the congregation’s ministry to protect today’s “Oaks of Mamre.”
- Challenge the youth group or an adult educational group to research native trees in your region. They can then choose one or two to plant on the church property. Frame this project as a sign of the congregation’s hospitality to the people, animals, and insects of God’s Creation who pass by, just as Abraham did with the angels at the Oaks of Mamre.
- Invite a local certified arborist to offer a presentation on protecting tree health. Visit https://www.treesaregood.org/ to find a professional tree care provider near you. Invite the community to the presentation as an educational event and a form of hospitality to your neighbors.
1Moises Velasquez-Manoff, “Can Humans Help Trees Outrun Climate Change?” The New York Times, April 25, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/climate/trees-climate-change.html.
2William R.L. Anderegg et al., “Hydraulic Diversity of Forests Regulates Ecosystem Resilience during Drought,” Nature 561, no. 7724, September 2018, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0539-7.
* Featured image source
