Most all of us have heard about Moses and the enslavement of the people of Israel. We read that they were enslaved for a very, very long period of time. We know that Moses was born with a purpose. And that he was used of God to lead the nation out of Egypt to freedom. Many of us, when we remember this narrative can almost hear the Word of God ringing out loudly in our ears, ringing out loudly before Pharaoh—“Let my people go.”
What I wonder is, could God have been clearer in communicating his thoughts to us…what is the point? What was the intended meaning of the story…not just to the generation that was living it, but to all people who would hear this story over the course of human history?
In my mind, the message is poorly understood. In my mind, humans don’t get the overarching message of this text. It’s a message for all people and for all generations. I say this because people are still being treated as less than human by other people. Christian people broke treaty after treaty with the First Nation People, then reducing their presence to living on reservations in America. Christian people, in their governance in America, legislated that people born with one drop of African blood are just 2/3rds human and that they should be enslaved. Then after the end of slavery, they treated this group of people as secondary citizens. This is not just a Christian problem. For I do remember the Turk’s waring against the Armenian people who shared land with them. They killed off millions of Armenian people and drove them out of Turkey. One can’t help but remember Nazi Germany—Germans treated Jewish people like they were “the other.” The cruelty shown them was unimaginable. Then, there are the poor from the islands and those who live south of the United States boarder who hunger and thirst for a life of freedom—Once again I see many who turn a blind eye to what’s going on because they are “the other.” I could go on and on and on about this. On and on.
So I ponder…and I wonder…could God have spoken more clearly about all of this?
What is the point of the Exodus? Was this story shared, intended to be used as a literal word to the Egyptians that they were to release Israel from bondage? Or, was this a greater word for all of humanity, for all generations that people ought not to be treated as “the other,” as throw away objects, as something of lesser value than one’s self? Was this a spiritual word likened to the parable of the Good Samaritan, offered to inspire humanity to do better in how we treat others? Was it intended to inspire people to be more like Esther, who stood in the gap for people who were facing danger even when the cost was great and could cost her, her life? Was it intended to be that kind of message that is grounded in a belief that the faithful’s call to love is greater than their call to be good Americans, or good ethnic people, or good rich people? Was this challenge offered to give voice to the truth that America first should not be in conflict with the needs of the other? Can’t both brothers needs be met at the same time? Is the Exodus a message that moves all to concern oneself with one’s neighbor, that when our neighbor is down--that we will help her up? Is the Exodus as much a message to people of our generation as it was to that generation a long time ago? Is the Exodus a message that makes you mindful that social justice is of God, it is very spiritual? It is as spiritual as praying a pray to God!
As I ponder, I would like to believe that the Exodus is about all of these things. I would hope that we believe and understand that the freedom and the dignity that the Nation Israel longed for is the same freedom and dignity that humans long for and desire in this generation. That the hearer of this story will afford dignity to all regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, economic status, and all other variables that we might use to treat humans as “the other.” I would like to believe that we are working hard to do this spiritual work in order to give witness to the love of our God who speaks loudly and said, “let my people go.”
I question and wonder if God didn’t speak clearly enough or is it that we are simply not willing to listen, feel and hear the cries of his people. Amen.