Words of Faith: Choosing faith in times of tyranny

I came across a photo of one of my nieces recently. She was at a museum standing face to face with a great marble statue of a crouching lion.

She was about 3. Her hands are clasped before her, as her little face stares straight into the snarling marble mouth. There is no fear, but an intense curiosity. One of the many thoughts that went through my head was about the fearlessness of youth. I mean, getting that close to museum property: won’t the guard fuss?

Then, the thought occurred – how would she react to a live lion? I suspect Amelia would still glare straight into the lion’s teeth. Hers is a strong faith that she can figure out anything. To have such faith is a blessing.

Faith, held strong and persistent, can take you so many places.

The story of Exodus is great example of both. It is a story of the belief that it was time to reject tyrants and free oneself from slavery. Moses and the Hebrews held persistently to that belief in the face of setbacks. I am writing of Pesach, or the holiday of Passover. This is a story retold every year by Jews at this time: the oppression by Pharaoh, Moses’ conversations with God and the demand to free the slaves.

The plagues and the hasty exit from Egypt – the Israelites leaving so fast that there was no time to let their bread rise while packing for the journey. And the final parting of the Red Sea to escape Pharaoh’s army, the Commandments being delivered and then, 40 years of waiting and wandering in the desert, before finally entering the land promised to them.

That sea parting is not covered in the deepest detail in the Torah (or the Christian Bible, for that matter). Over the centuries, an additional interpretation arose, adding details. The story arose that as God told the Israelites to go forward, people hesitated at the raging sea before them. At that moment, Nachshon, who’d run towards freedom, exiting Egypt on the faith of God’s words and the leadership of Moses, continued his journey forward and jumped into those waters, even before Moses held up his staff. The story goes on to imagine that the sea would not have parted until an Israelite moved forward into the waters, showing faith that God would stretch out his hand to truly rescue them from Pharaoh’s army at their backs.

A good part of me can imagine my niece and a number of other good friends taking a half moment to process the Egyptian army at their back, and God’s words, who got them this far. Then making the same choice as Nachshon. The thought would be, “I got this far, why not keep moving forward?” and letting that guide their steps and choices. This is less a blind faith choice and more of a rationalized choice, and one that took Nachshon and his children to freedom.

Even if those first steps were scary.

In modern re-tellings of the Exodus story, we often add in prayers and stories of people trying to escape from modern tyranny. There will be discussions of the Syrian refugees and their drive, like Nachshon, to get across the water to safety. Can you imagine jumping forward like Nachshon? Perhaps with a measure of fear, but still making a choice and determining to overcome? It takes faith to go forward, to speak up against injustices and work to make things right. It takes faith to remember that still voice in the wilderness, letting it quietly strengthen your own will.

Remembering that voice will do much to take you forward and making this current time a better place for all.

This story was originally published April 25, 2016 at 10:47 AM with the headline "Words of Faith: Choosing faith in times of tyranny."