Today’s Readings: Psalm 15; Numbers 27:12-23; Matthew 23:23-28; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; Psalm 19
The timing of today’s reading from Numbers couldn’t be better for the passage tells us the story of the transition of power from Moses to Joshua. On this Election Day we are anticipating a transition of leadership on many levels as well. So what do today’s words from Numbers tell us about such transitions that might be helpful for us to navigate this Election Day and beyond? Well, there are a couple of things that I took from the passage. The first thing I took is a reminder that no one human leader will accomplish all of the work him or herself. Moses is a great example of this. Here is one of the greatest leaders in the history of Israel – a person who led the people out of bondage, across the Red Sea, and through the desert. And yet did he ultimately get the privilege of leading the people into the Promised Land? No. He was content to hand off the proverbial baton to the individual who would take them on the next leg of their journey. Whoever is elected today will have that same humbling experience of starting things but handing off the baton to others as well. Second, the passage reminds me that a great leader knows where to turn to for guidance – and let’s just say it wasn’t the public opinion polls that was their source of authority: it was God. Let’s pray that whoever is elected today will have the same sense of wisdom and humility to turn to that same Source. The third lesson I will carry with me today isn’t explicitly spelled out in the text – it’s something that I read into it. In the days that followed the transition, it was not up to Joshua to do all of the work for the people. Rather, Joshua simply provided guidance and a general sense of direction. It was ultimately up to each Israelite to faithfully live out their lives in the manner they felt called in order for the nation to be established on solid footing. Same thing goes for us today. We will be in sorry shape if we expect either Barack Obama or John McCain to fix everything for us. Every challenge they face – from deciding when to employ our military troops to alleviating the challenges of global warming to helping revive our declining economy – will ultimately be decided by the values and practices of the people who will have to muster the will to live into those future policies. So at this awesome moment of transition, let us remember today’s passage from Numbers and realize that today the journey isn’t ending – it is only just beginning. And no matter who should win the election today, let us NEVER lose hope – for the One authority figure who matters most will carry us through all of the days before us. Let us remember that and ultimately keep our faith in the one place where it belongs: in God. Til next time…
The timing of today’s reading from Numbers couldn’t be better for the passage tells us the story of the transition of power from Moses to Joshua. On this Election Day we are anticipating a transition of leadership on many levels as well. So what do today’s words from Numbers tell us about such transitions that might be helpful for us to navigate this Election Day and beyond? Well, there are a couple of things that I took from the passage. The first thing I took is a reminder that no one human leader will accomplish all of the work him or herself. Moses is a great example of this. Here is one of the greatest leaders in the history of Israel – a person who led the people out of bondage, across the Red Sea, and through the desert. And yet did he ultimately get the privilege of leading the people into the Promised Land? No. He was content to hand off the proverbial baton to the individual who would take them on the next leg of their journey. Whoever is elected today will have that same humbling experience of starting things but handing off the baton to others as well. Second, the passage reminds me that a great leader knows where to turn to for guidance – and let’s just say it wasn’t the public opinion polls that was their source of authority: it was God. Let’s pray that whoever is elected today will have the same sense of wisdom and humility to turn to that same Source. The third lesson I will carry with me today isn’t explicitly spelled out in the text – it’s something that I read into it. In the days that followed the transition, it was not up to Joshua to do all of the work for the people. Rather, Joshua simply provided guidance and a general sense of direction. It was ultimately up to each Israelite to faithfully live out their lives in the manner they felt called in order for the nation to be established on solid footing. Same thing goes for us today. We will be in sorry shape if we expect either Barack Obama or John McCain to fix everything for us. Every challenge they face – from deciding when to employ our military troops to alleviating the challenges of global warming to helping revive our declining economy – will ultimately be decided by the values and practices of the people who will have to muster the will to live into those future policies. So at this awesome moment of transition, let us remember today’s passage from Numbers and realize that today the journey isn’t ending – it is only just beginning. And no matter who should win the election today, let us NEVER lose hope – for the One authority figure who matters most will carry us through all of the days before us. Let us remember that and ultimately keep our faith in the one place where it belongs: in God. Til next time…
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