Lectio. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval.

By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear ...

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received what was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. (Heb. 11: 1-3, 8-16).

Meditatio. The message of this passage is plain. What did not exist previously comes into existence by means of what is from God. The world came from non-existence into existence by means of the Word of God. Human beings, who live in this world of lies and cruelty, come into God's kingdom of truth and mercy by means of faith. Paul uses the very human word "presbuteros" (elders) to refer to Abraham, Sarah, and others of Genesis, bridging our era to that of the distant past. The word for seashore, "cheilos," means "lip," perhaps suggesting an image of us as dust blown by the breath of the Word. The passage emphasizes that this earth is not our home, but a place in which we sojourn as strangers. Faith is what urges us onward to God's city.

The lectionary passage dwells on the happy story of Abraham and Sarah, who were so old that biologically they were almost dead. Yet because they believed in God, they became the parents of all of the people of the Book: all Jews, all Christians and all Moslems. Let's not neglect what has been excised from the center of the lectionary passage: the story of Abel, whose belief in God led to his own death; Noah, who the passage says condemned the world through his faith; and the ethereal Enoch, who walked with God and was taken away by Him. It is as though the designer of the lectionary wanted us to forget for a moment the darker sides of believing in God: martyrdom, judgment and isolation from others.

The passage tells us that the Jews of the Old Testament had saving faith, that they understood what we know as Christ through reading the scriptures. The identifying character of this saving faith is a fundamental knowledge that we are not, in essence, part of this earth. Our bodies may carry us through this wasteland, but what identifies us as children of God is a genuine confidence in concepts such as truth, justice, mercy and love. We can say what we like, but only by living as though we were already in God's City will we get there. The passage uses a word for desire, "oregomai," that tells us that if we want to arrive in that City, we should covet it, that we should succumb to the desire for our City as the earthbound do to their lusts.

Contemplatio. Adoration. Justice. Truth. Love. Mercy. Faith. These are fabulous treasures lying around almost unused in this world. In Your City, these are the only coins that will gain anything. Confession. We see Your promised City only dimly, if at all. We are far too concerned about this life. Far too often, we grasp at papers claiming ownership to that which You own; we claim precious metals You made. We often behave in a manner that should disinherit us from your promise. We trample the coin of Your realm, so precious here, underfoot. Thanksgiving. If this life were all we had, millions and perhaps billions of us would have nothing at all for which to give thanks. Life would be little more than a slaughterhouse, where a great human herd is waiting to die. Thanks to You, even in despair, in prison, in pain, we have something to look to, beyond this life. Supplication. Grant us a little vision, Lord. Let us see the City clearly enough that we know how to travel there.