The Midweek

This Sunday, we continued making our journey through Exodus and we came to one of Moses' lowest moments. Moses, the Hebrew-born child who was raised among the Egyptians, left Pharaoh's palace and went to see what was on the other side of the tracks. Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, a man just like him. His blood boiled at the horror, he killed the Egyptian man, and hid his body.

As Pastor Donnell expounded on this scene, he said something very important–

Seeing an injustice isn't the same as an invitation to resolve that injustice.

I (Pastor Hannah) wonder what God would have said to Moses if he had paused, noticed his inner world, and listened for God's voice. I can imagine many ways God's mercy and justice might have come through Moses in that moment – maybe God would have told Moses to take the blows with the man, maybe God would have said leave the palace and come live among the Hebrews, maybe God would have said go speak to Pharaoh, or maybe God would have said weep here with me.

Moses didn't pause, notice and listen then, and his reactivity cost him and others dearly. He ended a life, became a wanted man, lost the family that had raised him, and fled into exile. I wonder what it was like for him to leave Egypt, the only home he'd ever known, with a death threat hanging over his head. Surely he imagined he'd never come back.

As I've gotten to know this community over the last year, it's clear to me, in the face of suffering and evil, this community doesn't look away; you all lean in. You see much because you love much and are paying attention. What have you seen lately? What replays in your head? Whose face comes to mind often for you? What headline, text, or reality can you just not shake?

As we take stock of what we've seen, let's take the time to pause, notice, and listen to God. It's as simple as asking –

God, what do you want me to do with what I've seen?

It's okay not to rush to an answer. God loves when we ask questions like this, because they open us up to real conversation and pursuing God's will, which is often much different than ours. I trust God's faithfulness to lead each of us in how we are to use the one, limited, beautiful life we've been given.

If you are feeling stuck, overwhelmed or like you don't know what God's saying or what a faithful response to what you've seen even looks like, know that Pastor Donnell and I are available to sit with you and offer some pastoral care and perspective. Please email one of us if you'd like to process what's coming up for you in this series or in life (donnell@a2cc.org and hannah@a2cc.org).

This Sunday, we'll find Moses at a fiery bush that doesn't burn up, and God will tell him just what to do with the horrors he's seen. Spoiler: God's call is riskier than Moses dared imagine for his life, and it would send him right back to the very place he fled from.

Were you gone this Sunday?

• Catch Pastor Donnell's sermon on Exodus 2 in our Out of Egypt series on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts during your commute or morning walk this week.