Pastor’s Page

“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.”

Genesis 12:2

In Genesis, God interacts with Abram, making spectacular promises to him. As the story continues, though, God doesn’t seem to be particularly forthcoming in fulfilling these promises. Years go by and, despite the promise of descendants, Abram and his wife, Sarai, remain without children. In their frustration, they take matters into their own hands through Abram impregnating their maidservant, Hagar.

Didn’t read that story in your children’s Bible? I’m not surprised. I certainly didn’t encounter this part of the story for a long time into my faith journey. Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise us how violence and subjugation are often glossed over within Scripture.

Within the lectionary, we will encounter part of Hagar’s story in a few weeks, when she and her son Ishmael are cast out into the wilderness. Within the Islamic tradition, Ishmael is believed to be an ancestor of the prophet Muhammad. Rather than choosing conflict, we can exercise love and understanding through interfaith relationships which allow us to be united, even in our differences and in acknowledgment of our similarities as people of faith across religious lines. We have demonstrated this recently at Wesley through co-hosting an Iftar dinner with the Affinity Foundation, which promotes interfaith harmony.

Even though it can be uncomfortable, truth-telling is necessary, both in relation to the Bible and the world around us. When we acknowledge Country in our worship services, we commit to truth-telling, to recognise how God’s spirit has been present in these lands since time immemorial. We lament how Aboriginal communities are harmed by colonisation and seek to accept the hand of friendship offered through reconciliation, justice and unity.

God was faithful to Abram, even though the story didn’t look anything like what he expected. We don’t know what is around the corner, even though we might suspect, presume or hope. God remains faithful to us, and through Christ we can enter deeper relationship with our Creator. God so loves the world and loves each of us, too.

Blessings, Pastor Abbey Sim

Iftar Dinner at Wesley, March 2026