Lord God, help us remember our story with you and with other - An Excursus
Going deeper into the GMD from Monday July 12, 2015
Exodus 1:8-22 & Psalm 124
The Israelites had been welcomed into Egyptian society by Joseph, yet within three generations they were enslaved and living in abominable conditions of apartheid and racial cleansing. What happened? Both the Isrealites and the Egyptians forgot their stories – first and foremost with God, but also with each other, and each with the others’ nation.
Joseph’s story of having been sold into slavery into Egypt was testament to God’s saving mercy, not only for Joseph individually, but also for the Egyptians whom Joseph’s wisdom saved from famine through his action based on his God-given dreams. The Israelites also had a story of being saved through God’s mercy: Jacob’s sons were given grain at the hand of their brother, saving the Israelites from otherwise certain starvation. Furthermore, Joseph was a grace-filled and wise leader who was able to rise above the previous harm done to him by his brother. Through the mercy of God he was able to not only forgive his brothers, but also reveal to them and their families the miraculous hand of God working through that forgiveness, to save them in their future greatest time of need.
The Israelites were the first to ‘forget their story’ of connection with God and with Joseph; just after their father Jacob died, out of fear “they fell down before [Joseph] him, and said, ‘we are here as your slaves’, an action that predisposed the Israelites, as a nation, to becoming subservient to those who tried to control them.
The Egyptians, too, forgot their story, and the legacy of wisdom, integrity, prudence, faithfulness –and survival - Joseph had established with them. We are told that “A new king arose who did not know Joseph”, called the Egyptians to ‘deal shrewdly with the Israelites”, and out of un-informed fear set task masters over Joseph’s people to oppress them with forced labour.
As history has unfolded over the centuries since then, forgotten stories have many times led to genocide, as in the Holocaust of Europe, Rwanda in the 90’s, the present Middle East crisis, and the present state of indigenous peoples in Canada. As Canadians we need to pay attention to this last crisis.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission thoroughly investigated the legacy of Indigenous residential school survivors from 2008 – 2015. On June 3rd, the findings of the commission were presented to us as Canadians. As Christians we understand the idea of “covenant” . As Canadians we are in covenant with First Nations, Inuit and Metis people, and need to now live into our honorable, faithful and trustworthy relationship with these people, by taking it upon ourselves to comprehend, have compassion for, and connect with, our Aboriginal sisters and brothers. (Read more at www.trc.ca ) .
Forgotten stories of connection and kindnesses, given and received, also lead to scenarios of violence within our work relationships, families and friendships on a more personal level. Witness a young couple starting out with so much love for each other, who within the first few years of their marriage are imprisoned in domestic violence, each attempting to control the other through intimidation, physical pain, isolation or other forms of manipulation and maltreatment. If counselled to remember the story of who they are in the sight of God, where they have been as a two people in love, and where they can head to become their ‘best version’ of themselves, a couple and their family can be healed.
Lord God, help us remember our story with you and with others; help me remember my story with you and with others.
Exodus 1:8-22 & Psalm 124
The Israelites had been welcomed into Egyptian society by Joseph, yet within three generations they were enslaved and living in abominable conditions of apartheid and racial cleansing. What happened? Both the Isrealites and the Egyptians forgot their stories – first and foremost with God, but also with each other, and each with the others’ nation.
Joseph’s story of having been sold into slavery into Egypt was testament to God’s saving mercy, not only for Joseph individually, but also for the Egyptians whom Joseph’s wisdom saved from famine through his action based on his God-given dreams. The Israelites also had a story of being saved through God’s mercy: Jacob’s sons were given grain at the hand of their brother, saving the Israelites from otherwise certain starvation. Furthermore, Joseph was a grace-filled and wise leader who was able to rise above the previous harm done to him by his brother. Through the mercy of God he was able to not only forgive his brothers, but also reveal to them and their families the miraculous hand of God working through that forgiveness, to save them in their future greatest time of need.
The Israelites were the first to ‘forget their story’ of connection with God and with Joseph; just after their father Jacob died, out of fear “they fell down before [Joseph] him, and said, ‘we are here as your slaves’, an action that predisposed the Israelites, as a nation, to becoming subservient to those who tried to control them.
The Egyptians, too, forgot their story, and the legacy of wisdom, integrity, prudence, faithfulness –and survival - Joseph had established with them. We are told that “A new king arose who did not know Joseph”, called the Egyptians to ‘deal shrewdly with the Israelites”, and out of un-informed fear set task masters over Joseph’s people to oppress them with forced labour.
As history has unfolded over the centuries since then, forgotten stories have many times led to genocide, as in the Holocaust of Europe, Rwanda in the 90’s, the present Middle East crisis, and the present state of indigenous peoples in Canada. As Canadians we need to pay attention to this last crisis.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission thoroughly investigated the legacy of Indigenous residential school survivors from 2008 – 2015. On June 3rd, the findings of the commission were presented to us as Canadians. As Christians we understand the idea of “covenant” . As Canadians we are in covenant with First Nations, Inuit and Metis people, and need to now live into our honorable, faithful and trustworthy relationship with these people, by taking it upon ourselves to comprehend, have compassion for, and connect with, our Aboriginal sisters and brothers. (Read more at www.trc.ca ) .
Forgotten stories of connection and kindnesses, given and received, also lead to scenarios of violence within our work relationships, families and friendships on a more personal level. Witness a young couple starting out with so much love for each other, who within the first few years of their marriage are imprisoned in domestic violence, each attempting to control the other through intimidation, physical pain, isolation or other forms of manipulation and maltreatment. If counselled to remember the story of who they are in the sight of God, where they have been as a two people in love, and where they can head to become their ‘best version’ of themselves, a couple and their family can be healed.
Lord God, help us remember our story with you and with others; help me remember my story with you and with others.
