Exodus 12: 34, 39
So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their cloaks on their shoulders .... They baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt; it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.
Well, this has been one whopper of a crazy week so far. We’ve been on evacuation warning all week because of the Walbridge fire so we’d packed everything we couldn’t do without into our cars every evening, and every morning we dug through and pulled out what we needed at that moment. I had to go find the computer I’m typing this on before I could write anything.
It has been frightening and it’s been exhausting. But still, somehow, I woke up in my own home this morning. And I am constantly aware that so many did not. No one expected this in August and we seem to have been woefully under-prepared with evac centers, and many of those folks who just got an abrupt “leave now” seemed to have no idea where to go. Even if an evac is of the “better safe than sorry” kind — still, they’re frightening.
As I was trying to kick my sleep-deprived brain into some sort of thought for this service, I noticed that one of the secondary readings for today is from Exodus — not the one I quoted above — but still, Exodus. And it got me thinking of our present day connections with that long-ago story — specifically their hasty preparations to leave Egypt.
You know, for better or for worse, Egypt was home — they’d lived there as a people for over 400 years. Being wandering herdsmen, they had never lived anywhere that long before. And even though they were virtual slaves by this time, they still had homes, and homes mean stuff, homes mean connections.
The Israelites in the Exodus story had only a few hours to decide what to take before setting out on a journey to who-knows-where. As one who has had to pack up and get out now, that is not something you do calmly and peacefully.
They trusted God (mostly--they were human after all), they trusted Moses (somewhat), and they definitely didn’t want to stay where they were — so they were willing to go. But still, grab what you can grab because we’re going now, is rarely a good thing to hear. Going ahead to something or somewhere new always involves leaving something behind.
This generation of Israelites had all been born in Egypt, as had their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents before them. They had no idea what they might be going towards. Going toward the new can be exhilarating—deciding what to leave behind can be agonizing and frightening, whether you’re a homeowner fleeing a fire, or an ancient Egyptian slave, or someone leaving a bad relationship, or leaving a steady job to follow a dream—whether you are going willingly or by force. There is so much fear connected to chaotic situations.
The chaos is stilled—partially, if not wholly—when we remember that God is with us. In the middle of chaos, in the middle of fear – we remember that God is with us in the midst of it all, that we are not alone. And we recognize that there are others all around us with hands held out to help – this is the only way through our fears and confusion.
God is leading us. The long-ago Israelites and us today. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, God goes with us and before us—leading us to the place we should be.
May there be peace for all. Comfort for the brokenhearted. Courage to face the unknown. And love for the stranger and the friend traveling beside us.
It has been frightening and it’s been exhausting. But still, somehow, I woke up in my own home this morning. And I am constantly aware that so many did not. No one expected this in August and we seem to have been woefully under-prepared with evac centers, and many of those folks who just got an abrupt “leave now” seemed to have no idea where to go. Even if an evac is of the “better safe than sorry” kind — still, they’re frightening.
As I was trying to kick my sleep-deprived brain into some sort of thought for this service, I noticed that one of the secondary readings for today is from Exodus — not the one I quoted above — but still, Exodus. And it got me thinking of our present day connections with that long-ago story — specifically their hasty preparations to leave Egypt.
You know, for better or for worse, Egypt was home — they’d lived there as a people for over 400 years. Being wandering herdsmen, they had never lived anywhere that long before. And even though they were virtual slaves by this time, they still had homes, and homes mean stuff, homes mean connections.
The Israelites in the Exodus story had only a few hours to decide what to take before setting out on a journey to who-knows-where. As one who has had to pack up and get out now, that is not something you do calmly and peacefully.
They trusted God (mostly--they were human after all), they trusted Moses (somewhat), and they definitely didn’t want to stay where they were — so they were willing to go. But still, grab what you can grab because we’re going now, is rarely a good thing to hear. Going ahead to something or somewhere new always involves leaving something behind.
This generation of Israelites had all been born in Egypt, as had their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents before them. They had no idea what they might be going towards. Going toward the new can be exhilarating—deciding what to leave behind can be agonizing and frightening, whether you’re a homeowner fleeing a fire, or an ancient Egyptian slave, or someone leaving a bad relationship, or leaving a steady job to follow a dream—whether you are going willingly or by force. There is so much fear connected to chaotic situations.
The chaos is stilled—partially, if not wholly—when we remember that God is with us. In the middle of chaos, in the middle of fear – we remember that God is with us in the midst of it all, that we are not alone. And we recognize that there are others all around us with hands held out to help – this is the only way through our fears and confusion.
God is leading us. The long-ago Israelites and us today. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, God goes with us and before us—leading us to the place we should be.
May there be peace for all. Comfort for the brokenhearted. Courage to face the unknown. And love for the stranger and the friend traveling beside us.
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