Word to the Wise
Monday, July 18, 2011 - Monday in the 16th Week in Ordinary Time
[Exod 14:5-18 and Matt 12:38-42,1019]Pharaoh was already near when the children of Israel looked up and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them. In great fright they cried out to the Lord. And they complained to Moses, "Were there no burial places in Egypt that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert? Why did you do this to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said, 'Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians'? Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the desert."
The finest story-tellers know how to keep the audience on the edge of their seats, biting their nails! The story of the Israelites crossing the sea on dry land is a very good example! Even the lectionary gets into the act by dividing the story into exciting "episodes," like the serial thrillers at the movies when I was a kid! Today's excitement is typical. The Israelites are "calmly" making their way toward the sea when "all of a sudden" they see another cloud of dust behind them! The Egyptians are coming! The Egyptians are coming! Panic ensues! And, of course, the "I told you so" folks that one finds in every group begin to speak up (even if they didn't "tell us so" at the beginning). Apparently even Moses gets worried because the Lord says to him, "Why are YOU crying out to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea, split the sea in two....." It's a tribute to Moses' growth in faith since the burning bush (and the story teller's skill) that he doesn't respond to this command with, "You're kidding, right?"
I sometimes wonder if Moses knew that the complaining he was hearing would not be the end of it, whether he might have simply said, "You're right! Let's invite the Egyptians to the picnic by the sea!" The next forty years he will be listening to constant complaining and outright rebellion against him and the Lord! The Egyptians, hunger, snakes and golden calf are only the major examples! Before it's all over he will shake his fist at God and say, "Why don't you just kill me and get it over with!" [cf. Numbers 11:15] And when it IS all over, he still doesn't make it to the Promised Land, but only sees it from afar!
When giving retreats for priests, deacons or lay ministers, I point out to them that the story teller in Exodus is speaking to us now! It's not easy to be an effective leader. The complaining and the "I told you so's" are enough to drive one up the wall! And if a leader has a "vision" worth achieving, the vision has to stand on its own because the visionary may not live to see it to completion, especially if that vision is from the Spirit and requires a long time to realize! Maybe watching THE TEN COMMANDMENTS can help us visualize all of this, but the story is good enough in print and speaks to complainers and leaders alike! AMEN