Today’s Scripture Reading (October 1,
2015): Numbers 20
One of the
challenges that Pope Francis gave to the United States was that she would leave
her tendency towards isolation, polarization and paralysis and begin to
actively participate in the process of healing the wounds of this world. And,
in this simple challenge, he tried to push the mightiest nation in the world to
truly be “one nation under God.” God’s concern has never been just about the
United States, although I strongly believe that the United States is on God’s
list of concerns. But his overarching plan is not for just one nation – it is for
the planet. We are here as the caregivers of the entire world. And that means
that all of the concerns of the world belong to all of us. Immigration and
environmental concerns do not just belong to the United States, but as long as
the developed world refuses to act we will find no solution. This is not
posturing or hyperbole, it is the truth. The United States, Canada, the United
Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan, Russia and the European
Union (just to start off this list) have to take an active role in the problems
of this planet or their will be no solution. And whether any of us like it or
not (and I do not mean this in any mean or demeaning way), the nations take
their lead from the United States, so she must set the example. The United
States cannot solve the problem by herself – the problem has simply become too
big. But she must lead the developed nations toward a solution. If she will
not, or if the other nations refuse to follow her, then our planet is doomed. This
is the ever present reality in which we live.
Numbers 20,
really begins the end of the story of Israel in the wilderness. Exodus,
Leviticus and Numbers 1-14 describe the initial years of the Exodus story.
Numbers 15-19 describe the high points of thirty-eight years wandering in the
desert. And now, it is time for the story to find its end. The Promised Land
lies just in front of Israel. It is so close that Israel can almost touch it.
And yet, there are still barriers that are separating Israel from their final
goal. To a certain extent, the desert wanderings have hardened the nation - and
many members of the nation no longer had any real memory of Egypt and the
slavery that had existed there.
And yet,
there was still at least a nostalgic memory. This memory was released in times
of stress. In this case, it was a lack of water. The problem was very real. The
nation was threatened. But the reaction of the people was to complain about the
leadership. Weren’t they better off in Egypt (a reality that few really
remembered). The current situation was all the fault of the Moses and
Aaron. And so they took up positions
against them.
What seems
to be missing is the reality that they had been here before. God had always
come through before, and yet the people lacked the faith to believe that God
could do it again. But what is really mystifying is what exactly the people
expected to happen next. The reality seems to be that they could point their
fingers at somebody and say that it was all their fault – and then die – or they
could get to work to find the solution. The problem was too big for any one
person, but if they stuck together at least they had a chance to live and reach
their goal. And if they honored God with their actions, it was quite possible
that he would move again, as he had in the past. At the very least they could
begin to pray together, as I am sure they had seen Moses do in similar
situations. But instead they chose to complain.
I am not
sure that I understand the response, and yet I see it all the time. And this is
what the Pope was challenging the world, through the United States, not to do.
The time for polarization and finger pointing is over. That path leads only to
death. It is time that we rolled our sleeves, and got down on our knees, and
work together to find the solution to the problems of the world. They are too
big for any of us alone, but the problems will be solved if the world can just
find a way to work together. But together has to be the key.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers
21
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