You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples. With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. (Psalm 77: 14-15)

People of faith struggle with the covenant that God made with Abraham and his descendents. What does the covenant say about God, God's love, human nature, human disobedience, and God's intervention?

The core of the covenant seems to be love God and all will be well with you. Follow the divine rules and you will be healthy, wealthy, and wise. Make your relationship with God your most important relationship and you will be beyond harm. Otherwise, watch out.

So when Israel became corrupt it was understood that Assyria was used to cleanse and redeem the people. Later the elite of Judah was taken in captivity to Babylon. Once again, this was explained as God's "tough love."

Some have argued that divine cleansing also explains Hitler's Final Solution. Most minds rebel at the thought. Certainly the God that I know would have nothing to do with something so hideous.

For many the Holocaust of the Jews - and the profound pain of so many millions this very day - is sufficient proof that there is no God. For many any God worth worshiping would intervene to stop the gross injustice that we see about us each day.

The Hebrew for redeem, used above, is ga'al which means to act as a kinsman. The usage and implication is to be present and helpful in time of trouble. As the family gathers for support at a funeral, as the family is to be source of help in time of need, so can God act as redeemer.

The person of faith perceives that God has intervened: in the courage of Moses, in the life of Jesus, in the love and wisdom of millions of good men and women throughout history. The person of faith knows that he or she is to be the strong arm of the Lord on this day.

God calls us to be as a kinsman to one another. God offers us inspiration, insight, and courage to become agents of redemption. But God has given us the freedom to choose. Will we choose to act as kinsmen of God and one another, or will we deny these elemental relationships and our role in the covenant?

Above is The Clash by Hans Hofmann.