Greetings Family,
Growing up, i used to ask a lot of questions about our family tree. I would ask my mom about her grandparents, whom i never knew, and she would often tell me stories about how hard it was to understand them, because their Irish accents were so strong. Her grandparents, my grandpa's parents, were Irish immigrants, first generation Conways to settle in southeast Kansas. I loved to hear their stories.
Then i would ask my grandma about her family, and it was never as developed. I dont know if it was a mystery. Or if my grandma just didnt' care to share. Either way, i never knew much, except that the Hemry's came from Bohemia, or modern day Czech Republic. I think my desire and love for that part of Europe must be grounded in that part of our family tree. Other than that, i have little knowledge or story about that side of the family.
But i want to know more. I want to travel to Ireland and see if i can find some distant relatives. I want to look into logs and history books and hopefully find our story in Czech Republic. But why? What is this need to know where i come from? Who my family is? Is there a good reason?
Perhaps it is because deep down inside all of us is the innate need to know who we are, and if we can trace our family tree, it will help us discover more about ourselves. Knowing who we are helps us understand why we do certain things, why we like certain things, and why we respond to different situations. My Irish heritage, of which i am about 1/4 Irish, tends to reveal itself most when i lose my temper so easily. Or at least that is the stereotype, but i have noticed on that side of the family, there is a short fuse and a bunch of out spoken people. So. Maybe there is always a little truth in stereotypes.
As much as this trip down Jerry's family tree may have been interesting or in the least revealing, i sense we need to know how it ties to our text for today. Well. In Jewish heritage and history, one's name, one's family spoke volumes about who you were. Your name could get you places your gifts or intelligence couldn't. Your name brought power. Status. Wealth. And so to have a powerful name, such as Noah does, you could expect to have an upper hand, already.
Noah's family tree goes back, as all of ours does, to Adam and Eve. But Noah's is different. His lineage traces back to Seth, and his name goes forward to the likes of David, Solomon, and eventually Jesus. This is a powerful family tree, and it begins to paint the picture of how God's plan was set into motion well before anyone could have foreseen it. As exciting as it is to see how God's purpose was revealed through the generations, i wonder, what message can be pulled from this?
First of all, for me, i sense one of the key messages whenever we look at family trees, is that it is important to know who we are and where we come from. It is vital that we know our family story, so that we can know how it affects our physical, mental, emotional, and yes spiritual well-being. Knowing who we are paves the way for us to stop certain dysfunctions, but it also empowers us to deviate from our family norm and, with God's help, create a new story, a new family chapter that is void of the darkness.
Second of all, it shows how God works. God is good, and it humbles me, a lot, how God has such an amazing purpose/plan, and when i stand back and reflect on my life and the lives of others, God is more apparent than i realized. Often times, in my life, i cant see the forrest for the trees, but when i take a step back and refocus my eyes, my mind, and my heart, the full picture comes into view, and i see clearly, sometimes for the first time.
And lastly, one of the eye opening sections of chapter five, was the brief but powerful snippet of Enoch. None of the others have so much said about their faith and obedience to God, but this man, "walked with God." This man, "God took him." It becomes clear to me that Enoch was special, but i wonder why? Why does Enoch have such a special place in Genesis 5, while the others have just the basics? Do you have any ideas? Thoughts? Revelations? Please share, i believe God is showing us something as a family, and i cant wait to experience the fullness of God's beauty and glory in the midst of our community.
Have a blessed day, even as God's gentle rain replenishes this dried earth.
Shalom,
jerry
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