Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

                                                                        --Exodus 14:30

Given our contemporary American interest in power and the perception of strength in public leadership, I wonder how (or even if) we read the Exodus story today.  Jesus read it, obviously, as the event itself became the centerpiece of his ministry and the very core of his vocational identity.  As he said in his very first sermon,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Lk. 4:18).

If you turn on the news today, or even just look outside your window, you will see many a cruel sign that this work is not yet completed.  The Spirit of the Lord is still upon us, blowing where it will, but there remains no shortage of captives, the blind, or the oppressed among us. 

Yes, Jesus declared that the “kingdom of God is among you” (Lk. 17:21), but His cross also stands to remind us of what that pursuit of glory will cost, and just how treacherous the path to peace may yet prove to be.  History shows that when we are unwilling to die to ourselves, as Christ calls us, then we are apparently satisfied to let others do it for us.  Thus, the burden of lingering injustice is a heavy load for many to carry; for others, perhaps not heavy enough (Gal. 6:2-5). 

The children of Israel discovered that the drama of God’s deliverance from the hand of oppression is not without its casualties.  This seminal point was impressed upon me deeply in a time of personal devotion earlier this week, through a reading of Strength to Love by Dr. Martin Luther King.  As our nation wrestles with the questions of an appropriate use of power in the face of public protest, and the rightful place of God’s Word in the political realm, I found this historic proclamation to be extremely helpful to my soul (italics are mine):

“Above all, we must be reminded anew that God is at work in his universe….As we struggle to defeat the forces of evil, the God of the universe struggles with us.  Evil dies on the seashore, not merely because of man’s endless struggle against it, but because of God’s power to defeat it.

But why is God so slow in conquering the forces of evil?  …Why does not God break in and smash the evil schemes of wicked men?

I do not pretend to understand all of the ways of God or his particular timetable for grappling with evil.  Perhaps if God dealt with evil in the overbearing way that we wish, he would defeat his ultimate purpose.  We are responsible human beings, not blind automatons; persons, not puppets.  By endowing us with freedom, God relinquished a measure of his own sovereignty and imposed certain limitations upon himself.  If his children are free, they must do his will by a voluntary choice.  Therefore, God cannot at the same time impose his will upon his children and also maintain his purpose for man.  If through sheer omnipotence God were to defeat his purpose, he would express weakness rather than power.  Power is the ability to fulfill purpose; action which defeats purpose is weakness.

God’s unwillingness to deal with evil with an overbearing immediacy does not mean that he is doing nothing.  We weak and finite human beings are not alone in our quest for the triumph of righteousness.  There is, as Matthew Arnold wrote, an “enduring power, not ourselves, which makes for righteousness.”

We must also remember that God does not forget his children who are the victims of evil forces….When we are in the darkness of some oppressive Egypt, God is a light to our path.  He imbues us with the strength needed to endure the ordeals of Egypt, and he gives us the courage and power to undertake the journey ahead.  When the lamp of hope flickers and the candle of faith runs low, he restoreth our souls, giving us renewed vigor to carry on.  He is with us not only in the noontime of fulfillment, but also in the midnight of despair.”

This is good theology, friends, and much needed, as we have all witnessed quite a few flickering lamps these days.  I often seek understanding from Dr. King when I do not know what else to say.  It is only more recently, however, that I have begun to lean on St. Teresa of Avila when I know not what to pray.

Teresa was concerned with the interior of her soul before God.  Likewise, Dr. King was concerned with the interior soul of America.  I share their concern for myself, for my neighbors, and for our country.

Let us pray:

Let nothing disturb you 

Let nothing frighten you

Those who cling to God

will lack nothing

Let nothing disturb you

Let nothing frighten you

God alone is enough   

Grace to You,

Darren

Artwork Credit:  Gauguin's Chair with Books and Candle, 1888, Vincent Van Gogh