moses must have been furious when he saw his brother leading israel in worshipping the golden calf. all the people had heard Yahweh demand that they worship no idols; neither they, nor aaron, had any excuse, yet no one accepted responsibility. moses would have been justified in accepting God's offer: he could replace abraham, start anew, and lead a people who were serious about being faithful to Yahweh. maybe it's our western individualism that compels us to strike out on our own each time we discover sin or diversity or blemishes. the source of the attitude does not matter so much to me; what does matter is moses' response to that offer: he politely declined. moreover, moses chose to passionately intercede for his people. he fought for the foolish, sinful, murmuring, chosen people.
this is not about ignoring real concerns. after all, moses rebuked the israelites harshly. yet his anger over their sin was not founded in self-righteousness. rather, it reflected a profound understanding of what sin accomplished: it divided israel from God, who was deeply offended by their false worship. moses' anger sprang out of his own love for Yahweh, and for the chosen people. when i am angry at a church or a pastor or a Christian because there has been a violation of a principle, i am loving neither God nor His people. i am clinging to a mere ideology, and that is nothing short of idolatry. ironic, isn't it?
i want to be like the moses of that moment. i want to be fully cognizant of the wrongness of what is happening, to know the sorrow of the growing rift between God and those He loves, to wholeheartedly agree that judgement would be just, and to still love them enough to intercede for them. to get down on my knees for those who refuse to do so. to stand in the gap when i speak to God and to His children. to weep when i could whine. to long for reconciliation and healing in the lives of others, and not only my own. to be clean of all unrighteousness and still stand by those who fall.
2 comments:
Do you think that applies to non-Christians? The standing by those who fall? I ask because I have a friend (Jenn - I think I talked to you about her - the one who got pregnant in grade 12. . . anyways)who really has turned to a life full of sin - to the point where I can no longer reason with her, and my heart just aches for her because of what she is doing - but I felt like it was hurting me by keeping in contact with her. Some people are saying it is good to put some distance between the two of us, others are saying that I should remain there for her. I have told her that I will always be there for her when she falls (and I fear she will) but cannot continue on in an active friendship for now - I dunno. You are smart when it comes to these things. What do you think? Is what I am doing right, or is it "un-Moses-like"?
first of all, i'm really sorry you and your friend are hurting. so long as you continue letting God shape your heart and mind, there will be sorrow of this kind... i am blessed to know that it's born out of such a beautiful and hearty love that it can really teach us to serve those who hurt.
unsurprisingly, i can't speak to your situation, polaris. some will say that we need to guard ourselves and have boundaries, others will talk about recklessly loving all people - Xn or not. all i know is, there was a clear call on moses' life, and he was faithful to it even when God Himself offered an escape route. ultimately, there are no formulae: you have to seek wisdom from the One who loves jenn most. indeed, without Him, it is hard to know how to love at all.
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