Deacon Tom Writes,
“Just For Today”
In this vivid passage from Exodus, the Lord sternly warns His people they shall… “not molest or oppress an alien….... or wrong any widow or orphan” because, God reminds them, “they were once aliens in the land of Egypt”. It is God who reminds the Israelites to keep this memory of the harsh treatment they received at the hands of the Egyptians alive in their “collective consciousness” so that they treat the weakest and most vulnerable members of their society with the respect and dignity they deserve. God goes on to make this pledge to them…. since the aliens, widows and orphans have no one to protect them or defend them…. then, “If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surly hear their cry and my wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword.” Wow! Do these words strike us to the heart today as we watch the fallout from a failed governmental policy that separated children from their parents as they crossed our Southern border. Say what you will but my word is: "SHAME"!
Jesus makes it clear that the weak and vulnerable have a special place in the Kingdom of God. By all that He says and does, Jesus reveals them to be a “protected class of people” whom God will look after and see to it that they are not harmed or exploited or left to fend for themselves…or else‼
Were these words that we read in Exodus only intended for the people of antiquity or does the Lord speak to us and warn us to care for the aliens, widows and orphans among us today? If we do sense that the Word of God speaks to each and every generation, do we feel that we are insulated from God’s promise to listen to their cries and to act on their behalf? Is God, right this very moment, listening to the cries of the weak and vulnerable who are crying out to Him during this pandemic…the father who has been out of work for the last 18 months and is desperate for a job… those losing their homes to foreclosure, the children who suffer the ravages of war, poverty and disease…. for those who live day to day but can’t get to see a doctor because they have no money and no medical insurance... and those who are distraught they will lose their insurance because our government is desperate to take it away from them…. and for the aliens and immigrants - the "dreamers" among us today? Will God not remember His promise? There are millions of our brothers and sisters who are weak and vulnerable and in need of our help…in need of systems that are fair and just and that recognize the dignity we all possess as children of God. How should God act toward us if we fail to do what is right? No need to guess! The Hebrew Scriptures may shed some light on how things could work out.
Let us offer this prayer today… that just for today we may do all within our power to help those in need with a meal, a listening ear, some words of hope and encouragement, to be agents of change for the good and well being of others. Just for today let us cooperate with the Lord by helping those who cry out to Him. Just for today let us seek to build the kingdom of God right where we live, work, and worship. Just for today let us work to build the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth so all God’s children may live in peace and harmony and the cries of the poor are turned to tears of joy.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
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