Sibling Rivalry

Where are we on our journey through Genesis? Recall that Genesis is part of the Jewish Torah, the Law. The Torah forms part of the Tanakh, which pulls together the Torah, the Writings and the Prophets. We, as Christians, have appropriated their sacred scriptures into ours. Recall that Genesis was written some 500-400 years BC, and had at least 4 sets of authors. Initially there’s the stories of creation, and how humanity walked away from God’s intended path, but then there was re-creation, through the flood. After which the cycle of walking away from God continued. It’s a tale of the ups and downs of life itself.

Going off the rails

What does it mean to not follow God’s path? Is it not doing what God says? In my childhood, I considered it as when I had done something wrong, even if it was a black mark against me. It was always very personal. When, possibly it is when we cause a breakdown in the relationships between ourselves and society, where we exist. That’s more of a societal issue, that’s something we can identify as relational. Now, that’s more fruitful which is where it all started to break down initially…

So, if we can realise when those connections with others and our world are broken, and start to look to rectify that, that’s the start of re-creation again. 

Post the Flood story, we have Abram with his brother Haran, and then his relative Lot on their journey. There remains misunderstanding, a lack of communication, and falling out. However, throughout this all, there is a word kindred. Kin is important. Not merely between families, extended relatives but also those within our communities. 

In Matthew we have the Sermon on the Mount passage (Matthew 5: 5-7), we hear of Jesus seeking to overturn the tables of society by saying that those who will be blessed are the ones trodden by the rich and powerful.  There are many examples in life where we might just see this dilemma, this battle between one group of people and another.  But could it be enacted between siblings? 

What’s it like to be a twin? 

Most of us, who aren’t twins, have probably wondered that at some point in our lives.  Twins, especially identical ones, are said to have a special bond, a closeness that is unique and maybe- it seems- that other people can’t understand or experience in quite the same way, even if close to a sibling.  

Jacob and Esau

Jacob and Esau, are twins from Genesis, and purportedly may be one of the most famous examples ever of twins.  In this story, the plot focuses on their differences.  Esau is a hunter, an alpha male of the country, whereas Jacob is a quiet man, living in tented ‘surburbia’.  Jacob is noted as having smooth skin, whereas Esau is hairy and rough.  Quite the opposite. Twins are meant to be close, yet these two seem to hate each other.  Their conflict begins even in the womb.  Esau was born before Jacob, who came out holding on to his older brother’s heel as if trying to deny Esau to be born first.  The name Jacob means “he grasps the heel,” which is a Hebrew expression for deceptive behaviour.

We can read from Genesis 25-27 that they Mum, Rebecca, seeks to help Jacob to trick his father Isaac into thinking that he is Esau, his father’s favourite. This is done by bringing Isaac food and dressing as Esau; using his clothes and some handy hairy animal skins. Jacob receives that blessing and is in seventh heaven, despite actually deceiving his own father. Lovely. For Esau, the pain of loss is immense.  In the logic of this story, there is only one blessing and to lose it is devastating. 

How can we read this story?

It takes the message of the Sermon on the Mount as it challenges the social order.  The concept that the first born is the one with privilege is broken. Our God blesses the lowly and marginalised, calling into question the expected societal settlement of power.  The idea of blessing is contrasted with deception. At the end of the passage, the twins Jacob and Esau are utterly divided.

In the last year, we may have seen the division of society in America with the overturning of Roe vs Wade, families torn apart, especially if they live in different States.  But at least, in the story of Jacob and Esau, the possibility of reconciliation- or at least of the two sides talking to each other- is always held open, even if it’s never fully enacted.

For me, I came to Glasgow hoping that I could, with the help of other agencies, start to bring disparate parties to seek reconciliation. I was told that to invite members of the Orange Order and the Roman Catholic Church together, at the same table, was impossible. And it was. Although the priest was willing, every attempt I made to bring them to the same table was refused. You see the divisions in Glasgow whenever there is an Old Firm match. Those divisions lie so deep, entrenched, like the words in a stick of rock, only able to really see them when the surface is broken. And it is Christians who have contributed to that continued division. 

The saga of Jacob and Esau shows that we are all part of one family.  And while we may be hostile to each other- and even get to a point where even hate each other- being family brings certain obligations. We can’t just ignore each other: we have to be in conversation. Our conversations matter because we don’t- we cannot- exist apart from one another. We are part of kin_dom.

Our flawed attempts at reconciliation are played out in the messiness of life- and staying in conversation is crucial.

Would we ever be willing to re-engage and seek that reconciliation, or permit it to continue to fester?