Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.””
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, October 6, 2020
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
I've heard it said that history is always told from the perspective of the winners. I have found this to be true. How often have you heard of any of the wars your country has fought in that are described as having failed miserably? Or having been the oppressors? Or having been fought unjustly?
The Israelites credited God with the miraculous, good work of defeating their enemies, the oppressors and aggressors. But what of the Egyptians? What of the women and children who lost their husbands to the sea? What of the communities decimated by the loss of hundreds of their local soldiers? Pharaoh's armies were under the command of Pharaoh. What did Pharaoh lose when he pursued Israel? Power and soldiers, perhaps. But other than his son (who he lost before he pursued Israel), Pharaoh lost little compared to the people he was supposed to protect. Egypt, however, lost everything.
Even today, I think of the people we are fighting. What of their wives and husbands lost to war? What of their communities obliterated by bombings and warfare? We like to believe we are right and just. But our enemies also believe they are right and just. War is not easy. It is not simple. It is complex and destructive for both sides. Perhaps if we saw the enemy as human beings with families, dreams, faith, communities, it might be harder to praise God for wiping them out.
Life can be complex, can’t it? Does war have a purpose? Are there just wars?
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