Our Moses Obsession

August 24, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

Omnis fama a domesticis emanat.
(“All fame proceeds from servants.”)
- Francis Bacon

Last week, Bruce Feiler, bestselling author of Walking the Bible, marked an important, yet widely disregarded, anniversary in American history. Shortly after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, founders Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams began work on designing a new seal for the fledgling United States. With all the possible symbols they could have used to capture the spirit of this new nation, their choice was somewhat surprising. On August 20, 1776, they revealed before Congress their proposal: a depiction of Moses, leading the Israelites through the Red Sea.

In choosing to appropriate the story of Moses for the country, the founders were inviting the earliest Americans to see their struggle as one that paralleled the Exodus, journeying to their own Promised Land, escaping their own tyrannical Pharoah. The new seal would encourage the country to maintain the same stalwart courage exhibited by the Great Liberator himself.

Over two centuries later, this country still anchors its identity in the life and legacy of Moses. Feiler offers this sweeping survey:

The Liberty Bell has a quote from Moses on its side. George Washington was hailed as the American Moses. Harriet Tubman called herself the "Moses of her people." Abraham Lincoln quoted Moses at Gettysburg. Cecil B. DeMille cast Moses as a hero for the Cold War. Martin Luther King compared himself to Moses on the night before he was killed. And nearly every American president, including Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, has likened himself to Moses. For 400 years, one figure stands out as the surprising symbol of America. One person has inspired more Americans than any other. His name is Moses. [1]

Reading Feiler’s analysis prompted me to reflect on how fixated we continue to be on superstar personalities. We locate our individual narratives in the lives of celebrated heroes, praising them as the ideal to which we all must aspire. We single out great people (often men, frankly) and set them high on a pedestal, daring us to reach for that same standard of greatness. Moses may be among our favorite icons, but so is Daniel Boone, Paul Bunyan, George Washington, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and countless others.

But is that what drives history and destiny? Larger-than-life celebrities?

I’ve never done a funeral for a nationally known celebrity, and likely never will. Instead, I’ve done countless services for ordinary people whose ongoing influence shapes the lives of families, friends, and communities. They accumulated a fortune, not based on the currency of wealth, but on acts of love and compassion. They did so with anonymity, without any expectation of recognition or reward.

These are the people that form the very fabric of a good and decent society, people like you and like me. Francis Bacon was right. All fame does proceed from servants.

I do realize the irony of making this case in the midst of a sermon series called “The Hebrews Hall of Fame,” in which we promote great individuals of the faith. So rather than stay focused on Moses, let me offer my own praise for the following unheralded people:

· Jochebed, Moses’ courageous mother, who took a risk most of us would never consider, in order to ensure her son’s future.
· Bithiah, Pharoah’s daughter, who opened her heart and her home to one of the Bible’s most important and most enduring deeds of compassion, the act of adoption.
· Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, who took a chance on Moses and employed him while he was a fugitive on the run, and later encouraged him when he was on the verge of burnout.
· Aaron, Moses’ elder brother, who accepted second-fiddle to his kid brother, and became one of Moses’ stalwart vocal supporters.
· Miriam, Moses’ older sister, and the most underrated figure in the Exodus narrative. Her song leading encouraged the people as they traveled, and her song of victory is widely regarded by scholars as the oldest piece of Scripture in the Bible.

Yes, Moses is deserving of his numerous accolades and regard throughout history. We will explore more of his story this Sunday and discover reasons for his inclusion in the hallowed list of Hebrews 11. But we would best remember that the ongoing work of God’s kingdom is contingent on the work of common, ordinary people like us. None of us may ever rise to the level of celebrity. But we can each live a Hall of Fame life.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org

[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-feiler/this-month-in-moses-how-t_b_680865.html



Hebrews 11:23-28
23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25 choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
26 He considered abuse suffered for the Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger; for he persevered as though he saw him who is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.


IMPORTANT CONGREGATIONAL MEETING THIS SUNDAY
After the service this Sunday, the Building Committee will present a revised set of plans and cost estimates for the congregation’s consideration. There will be no formal vote, as this is not officially a Charge Conference, but we will be soliciting everyone’s feedback.

UPDATE ON KRISTA TAYLOR
Thank you for your continued prayers for Krista Taylor, daughter of Ray and Rhonda Hampton, who is serving with her family as missionaries in Rift Valley Academy in Africa. After undergoing premature contractions in her pregnancy, Rhonda reports that she is now fine and anticipates returning to Rift Valley very soon.