All People are God’s
“They had rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity even to prepare food for the journey.” Exodus 12:39.
Captivity for the Jewish people stretched back generations. The screws of servitude only tightened. But faith in God kept their spirit alive. “We are not slaves” was inscribed in their texts and hearts. When they heard that “now is the time,” the people responded. They had no map. They knew not how this flight would end. Behind them was bleak toil, ahead was the wilderness. The struggle is long. Their trust in God will waver. Why did we leave that familiar place? But God’s presence runs deep. Again they answer, Yes.
To be freed, our horizon must shift. We awaken to our dignity, to the possibility that this world can change. From scripture and history come those who refuse, resist, and act. The words of Sojourner Truth—“And ain’t I a woman? Look at me!”—poke our complacency. Photos of the Freedom Riders startle us. These young ones—black and white—together rode busses into firestorms of racial hate. They heard the call and set out on the journey.
As moderns, we take pride in my choices, my work, my property, my serenity. The accent falls on the self. At an extreme, the individual places herself outside institutions as their authentic source. But the triumphant individual washes up on a lonely shore. The ring on my finger, the neighborhood school, the congregation, clean water, and decent health care make manifest how we belong to others from the start.
The children of God left Egypt with relatives of mixed ancestry. They did not travel alone. We honor our immigrant ancestors who journeyed to a new life. Those seeking asylum are neighbors in trouble, not invaders. To break the cycle of violence, let us open our hearts to the strangers at the border.
God tells us to “find Me” in the poor. Each creature matters, every tear is felt: “he cured them all.” We find balance in being connected to God and to our neighbor. At a distance, fears mount. Side by side, we encounter the body of Christ. |
