Therefore, this instance of justification was by faith and works. Abraham had the faith to believe God (faith), and he obeyed him (a work). Hebrews 11 is about the heroes of the faith.

In the story, God puts Abraham to the test, asking him to “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of ...

Abraham’s sacrificial world view is not our own, but the need to trust in God’s promise of a fruitful evolution of some greater divine plan remains as true today as it did for the father of faith.

It is incomprehensible. And yet, this story is foundational to the Christian tradition. This is part of our faith. God intervened, of course. Abraham was not actually forced to kill his own child.

And Sarah died in Kiryat Arba, that is Chevron in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her, and Abraham rose up from before his dead (Genesis 23:2-3).

But we can’t depend only on our political leaders to adopt the values needed to find the path out of brokenness and division. We need to turn to our faith communities.