Three Visitors for Mamre

Behind di wall of one tent, one old woman dey listen. She hear one stranger talk something wey sound so impossible dat she laugh, quietly, for her mind. Then di stranger ask, Why Sarah laugh?

Abraham don camp near di big trees of Mamre, near Hebron, for di hill country of Canaan. Na di hottest part of di day, when nobody dey travel if e fit avoid am. Abraham sit down for di door of im tent, for shade. E be ninety-nine years. Im wife Sarah be about ninety. Years ago God promise dem one son. Dem still dey wait. Genesis start dis scene with one quiet headline: di Lord appear to Abraham. Then Abraham look up.

Three men stand near there. And dis old man, for di heat of di day, run. E run go meet dem and e bow reach ground. My lord, if I don find favour for your eye, abeg no pass me. Make I bring small water so una fit wash una feet. Rest here under di tree. Make I bring small bread for una, so una go get strength before una continue una journey. Okay, dem talk. Do as you don talk. Small water. Small bread. Na wetin Abraham offer be dat. Wetin e do next big pass dat one well well.

Abraham hurry enter di tent. Sarah, quick! Take three measures of di best flour, knead am, and bake bread. Then e run go di herd, e choose one tender, fine calf, and e give am to one young servant, wey hurry go prepare am. Soon fresh bread dey, roasted meat, sour milk and fresh milk. Abraham put everything for di front of im guests, and as dem dey chop under di tree, e stand near there, ready to serve.

Where your wife Sarah dey? dem ask. Strangers no suppose know her name. She dey there, inside di tent, Abraham talk. Then one of dem talk. I go surely come back to you around dis time next year, and Sarah your wife go get son. And Sarah dey listen for di tent door, just behind am.

Sarah know her own body. She don pass di age to born pikin since long time. So she laugh for her mind. Now wey I don tire finish, and my husband don old, I go really get dis joy? Then di Lord tell Abraham, Why Sarah laugh, and talk say, I go really born pikin now wey I don old? Anything too hard for di Lord? For di time wey I don fix I go come back to you, around dis time next year, and Sarah go get son. Fear catch Sarah, and she deny am. I no laugh. And e talk, gently but firm, No. You laugh.

Who dis three visitors be? Genesis tell us say di Lord appear to Abraham, and for di next chapter dem call two of di visitors angels. Jewish and Christian readers don think about dis scene for centuries, and some Christians don see inside am one small sign of di Trinity, di most famous one na one Russian icon wey Andrei Rublev paint. Di story itself leave some mystery there. Wetin e make clear na dis: God come Abraham tent, sit down for im shade, chop im bread, and renew im promise.

For Abraham world, to welcome strangers na serious duty. For dry country, traveller fit depend on di next tent for water, food and protection, and host wey drive guests away go bring shame on top imself. To wash di dusty feet of di guests, to offer shade and to serve food na di respect wey everybody expect. Notice how Abraham talk small but give big. E promise small bread, then e bake from three measures of fine flour, enough for crowd, and e kill one calf, something wey rare for families wey dey rear animals, wey dey live mostly on milk and grain. Centuries after, di letter to di Hebrews remember scenes like dis. No forget to welcome strangers, e talk, because some people don welcome angels like dat without knowing.

Di three visitors for Mamre. You fit read am for Genesis chapter eighteen, verse one to fifteen. Sarah laugh because di promise sound impossible. God answer with one question wey still dey echo. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin dey hard pass for your life now, and wetin go change if you carry am come meet God?