God calls each of us. Perhaps not always in the dramatic way Moses heard God in the bush, as in our reading this Sunday. Sometimes, like Photini and Deborah it is simply in the way we live and witness. The collect for the Third Sunday of Lent from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer says, Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The prayer reminds us that we cannot help ourselves. When we think we
are in charge or in control, it is a mirage formed by our own hubris and pride.
Let’s think about Moses for a minute. We meet him in the Old Testament/Hebrew
Scripture reading (Exodus 3:1-15) while keeping the flock of his
father-in-law Jethro. That is a long way from his status as a Prince of
Egypt. Remember in the early chapters of Exodus we hear how he was saved from
Pharoah’s edict to kill all male children, by Pharoah’s own daughter. He was
raised as royalty and only learned his true heritage as a young man. Then in
defense of a fellow Hebrew he killed an Egyptian and fled for his life. Now he
is a humble shepherd.
God doesn’t look at the lack of power, though. He sees Moses, a man gifted
with abilities learned in his years at court and knowledge of the wilderness gained
as a shepherd. God knows Moses is the man to confront Pharoah and bring my
people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.
Moses is not convinced and argues with God. God doesn’t give up and
tells him to inform the Israelites ‘I AM has sent me to you…The Lord, the
God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob, has sent me to you.’
In my book Sacred Story: Yours, Mine, Ours, we meet Photini (aka the Samaritan Woman) and Deborah, an Old Testament judge. What do they have in common? They are leaders, unexpected leaders, and strong leaders. Like the prayer at the beginning, they knew they had no power in ourselves to help ourselves. “Deborah in the Old Testament and Photini in the New Testament are bold witnesses to the work of God. They show how God can act mightily in any life. Deborah was a judge of Israel, and Photini was the first to proclaim Jesus’ Messiahship to her town of Sychar.” I think this image of a proud, confident woman could represent either Deborah or Photini.
In my book,
I note, “Deborah and Photini recognized that a greater good could come from
trusting God. Our personal actions for the ‘good of all,’ often start out
small. Deborah was simply offering advice under a palm tree. Photini was just
going to the well for water. These women were doing their daily tasks. Then God
acted in their lives. When God acts with and in us, the mustard seed of our
life and work becomes a mighty tree.”
Moses didn’t
think he could free the Israelites from the power of Pharoah. Deborah may have
doubted that she could lead an army and Photini wasn’t expecting to meet the
Messiah at the well. Yet, God used each of these people to move the Kingdom of
God closer. I remind readers, “Our Sacred Stories carry encounters with the
Living God like the men and women in the Bible. Like them, our witness deepens
our faith and inspires our walk with God.” It is rarely in the big, newsworthy
moments that change happens. It is in the small, day-to-day encounters where
justice, mercy, and love are shared.
What small actions have you seen, in your life or others, which God use to bring about change?
