A LIST OF SITES WITH GREAT HERITAGE
In September of this year, an ancient earthworks circle joined Stonehenge, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Angkor temple complex in Cambodia as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This ceremonial site isn’t on the plains of Mesopotamia or Africa, however, but in Ohio. Around two thousand years ago, the Indigenous people now referred to as the Hopewell culture built hundreds of ceremonial earthworks. Over the centuries, especially with European migration to the area, most of the sites have been damaged or erased. A quarter of a century of work from organizations across Ohio culminated in the U.S. Department of the Interior that applying to UNESCO in March of 2022, and in September 2023 the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthwork site was officially added to the list.
A LIST OF FATHERS WITH GREAT HERITAGE
Today’s passage includes Matthew’s genealogical list tracing the lineage of Jesus from Joseph to David, Ruth, and Rahab, and all the way back to Abraham. A careful reading of the list reveals it to be not just a dry sequence of begats but a remarkable tale of God’s grace, faithfulness, and love for people of all nations.
Questions
- Which UNESCO heritage sites would you like to visit? Here’s the link: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
- How far back do you know your own genealogy?
- What do you make of the fact that Matthew’s genealogical list includes women and non-Jews?
