On a New Path to COEXIST

"Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.  I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."  Genesis 12:1-3

First observation:  ALL the families of the earth shall be blessed.

God makes a covenant with Abraham.  Abraham and Sarah get impatient waiting for a child and Sarah gives her Egyptian slave girl whose name is Hagar to bear her husband a son.  The Birth of Ishmael takes place.

Thirteen years later, the sign of God's covenant takes place with the birth of Isaac.  A whole lot of ugly takes place and Sarah says, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac."  "The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son.  But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you.  As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring."

Second Observation:  Hagar and Ishmael are banished to the desert.  The angel of God shows up and promises them both that God will make a great nation of him.  "God was with the boy, and he grew up;"

Speed up the story:  Isaac has two twin sons named Esau and Jacob.  Abraham loves Esau and Rebecca loves Jacob.  Esau sells his birthright.  Jacob and Rebecca deceives Isaac who blesses Jacob by mistake.  The Bible follows the lineage of Jacob. 

Third Observation:  Esau marries Ishmael's daughter.  I never remember reading this in the Bible before.  I certainly never heard a sermon on the topic.  "Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath daughter of Abraham's son Ishmael, and sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had."

Recently, I met a man named Ismael.  Ismael is the Arabic name for Ishmael.  Yes, Ismael is a muslim.  No, most muslims are not terrorists.  Ismael invited me to his mosque to attend his service today.  I am now reading the Quran.  Ismael is now reading the Bible.

Upside:  Ismael and I are friends.

Downside:  If I become a muslim, they would have to stone me for being a homosexual.  It is an abomination to Allah.

Moral of this story:  We are on a new path to COEXIST.