But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. – Exodus 14:29

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 2, 2012): Exodus 14

We remember significant events. It has been said that our culture’s personality is defined by a relatively few questions about our history – the ‘where were you’ questions. Where were you when Pearl Harbor was bombed, or when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Where were you when the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded or when the Berlin Wall was torn down? Where were you on 9/11 (or as Alan Jackson sings – where were you when the world stopped turning?) These have become the questions of our culture – and depending on which ones you remember, the definer of our personalities. For me, I only remember the last three (I have a vague memory of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, but I was very young.) But that little fact speaks volumes about how I interact with the world and with my culture. It is in these questions that my cultural personality is revealed.

Theologians often find themselves questioning some of the significant moments of the Bible. And one of the moments that is questioned is the crossing of the Red Sea. Often it is mentioned that while our Bibles say the Red Sea when it is actually the Sea of Reeds which is a much smaller Body of Water. And the thought seems to be that somehow that makes the miracle more plausible – it was less of a miracle that was needed. But that really is not true. It would be like crossing Lake Ontario instead of Lake Superior on dry land – it is a smaller body of water, but it takes an equal miracle to accomplish the feat.

The reality is that God knew that Israel needed a moment. Nothing was by accident. The crossing of the Red Sea was going to become the “where were you” question for the next generation of Israelites – no matter how large the body of water might have been. This would become the moment for that generation, and the generations beyond as the story would be told around campfires.

This was a shaping moment. It spoke to a people that God could be trusted even in the worst of situations – and that is a message that we still need to hear and still need to share. The truth is that there are still Red Seas that need to be parted and a people of faith are still needed to walk through on dry land. We still need to know that God can be trusted, both in the best of times and in the worst of times.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 15