Word to the Wise
Monday, July 13, 2009 - Monday in the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
[Exodus 1:8-14, 22 and Matthew 10:34 - 11:1]Pharoah then commanded all his subjects, "Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live."
Today the Church begins to reflect, in the Book of Exodus, on the story of one of the most important figures in scripture and history: Moses. In a a very real sense, this story is at the root of much of the conflict that has afflicted the Holy Land for century upon century. It is a story that has captured the imaginations of millions of people. For many of us, imagery has been supplied by the famous Cecil B. DeMille motion picture starring Charleton Heston as Moses! Important figures like Moses, in the Bible, are subject not only to the memories of those who eventually write the stories about them but also to the desires and hopes of those same story tellers. This does not change the theological significance of these heroes. Story telling has the function of underlining certain characteristics of these heroes to suit bigger agendas. In the case of Moses, his function as a "liberator" and leader of the Chosen People and as the one who received God's Law on the Mountain are primary values in his story. This story was passed down orally for centuries and found its way into written form about 500 years before the birth of Jesus, although scripture scholars date the "Exodus" to somewhere in the neighborhood of 1200 B.C.. Those periods are large. but an oral culture keeps its stories alive even if they tell them differently from generation to generation. God works with humans to tell God's story in many ways and languages. I urge my "beloved congregation" to listen carefully to the Word of God in the Book of Exodus. One man, as certain of God's call as he was uncertain of his ability to carry it out, has shaped the destiny of a land and people and impacted even the way in which we understand Jesus' life and mission. Someone as important as Moses deserves our careful attention because he will have much to teach us. AMEN
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