Abraham, notes Cardinal Martini in this book dedicated to the figure of the great patriarch, is the father of faith on the move, a symbol of all those who seek God. He is our father ‘not only in life as it is lived, in faith considered objectively’ but also ‘for his radical attitude of faith’ which makes him ‘the exemplary model of the human being in an attitude of acceptance and availability.’

His setting out on the journey reminds us, of course, of the need to free ourselves from the ambiguity of a certain ‘traditional belief’. In fact, Abraham would learn the heard way how unpredictable God is in his incredible irruption into history. He would learn this by going through fear and temptation, discovering how God’s ways are capable of surprising and disturbing us. In the name of the promise he had received from God, Abraham would be capable of making great and free choices, moved by a social justice bearing the mark of availability, magnanimity and gift. his journey, like that of every human being, is not a straight one, but it does lead to the discovery of the true God.