Lent, Day 15: Hoping against hope

By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, "It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you." He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead-- and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. (Heb 11)


I look at Abraham's hands in this picture - the way he holds his son's face with his left, covering his eyes, and the way the angel holds his right hand, and how the knife falls from it. I marvel and recoil at Abraham's faithfulness. The mystery of our faith is the conviction that God is more important than anything or anyone and the irony of our faith is that only when we believe this can we truly love everyone and accomplish anything.