“Where are you?” (Gen. 3:9)
“Where is your brother?” (Gen. 4:9
As we all know, religion and legalism are human efforts to reach and earn God’s favour. This morning I was reading Luke 2:48 that says: “His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your Father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.” Luke 2:48 GNTD
Mary and Joseph got frustrated in their search for Jesus, but He was in the Father’s House, enjoying community, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. That’s what authentic leaders do. Where are they? Authentic leaders love to be in the Father’s presence and with Kingdom-minded people they learn from and who they influence towards God.
We learn that leadership principle from the two most critical questions in Genesis. These two gracious and revealing questions of Gen 3:9, “Where are you?” and Gen 4:9, “Where is your brother Abel?” display the beauty of God’s Grace. A God who, despite who we are, graciously pursues us to invite us into a loving and redeeming relationship with Him. A God who comes after us, knowing all our shortcomings, but still never giving up on us (Gen 3:9), and a God who values community (Gen 4:9) so much that it leaves us with no option but to look after the other, brother and sister. No wonder why the enemy is so persistent in damaging our grace relationship with the Father and our Spirit-led influence among the community that He is building up globally.
So help us, God!
Paul Pascoal
ELC International Program Director
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