A Faith that Embraces Tension and Paradox
Embody Faith || Weekly Devotional
I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human to animal, and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.
— Exodus 12:12
Yesterday I had the opportunity to preach at our local UCC church, and they’re currently going through the book of Exodus. When Pastor Sharon told me I’d be preaching on the story of the passover, which includes the killing of all the first-born children and animals of Egypt, I almost backed out.
But as I read commentaries and sat with the text, I saw a quote from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks that stayed with me:
“We may rejoice in the triumph of justice and the defeat of evil in the world, while also identifying with the suffering of the victims.”
I have always struggled with this part of the story, and the way Pharoah’s army is washed away in the sea as they pursue the Israelites. There’s a favorite camp song with a great rhythm and some of the best dance moves (who doesn’t want to ‘do the Egyptian’ around a campfire?!), but I always cringed when we sang this verse:
Pharaoh's army was a comin' too. So what do you think that I did do?
Well, I raised my rod and I cleared my throat,
And all of Pharaoh's army did the dead man's float!
Imagine a bunch of middle schoolers dancing like floating zombies while shouting that last line, and you’ll get a feel for what I mean!
This week, I don’t have any answers to offer you, but I want to invite you into a question: How do we rejoice in the freeing of God’s people, while also acknowledging the human toll of suffering?
It’s a difficult complexity to hold, and requires the embrace of tension. But allowing ourselves to do hold that tension allows us space to deepen our sense of empathy.
Our world is full of paradox and unclear situations. Just look at what is happening around the world right now. It feels impossible to see things in a way that is simply black and white.
Perhaps reading this story and holding space for tension can allow us to feel empathy and compassion for all who suffer in the world. We can work towards justice, freedom from oppression, and peace in the world; we can believe in a God who stands on the side of the oppressed, while also acknowledging the human toll of suffering that happens around the world.
This tension is what allows us to hold space for the people of Israel who are desperate for peace and who suffered greatly on October 7th, 2023, and hold space for the suffering of the Palestinian people who are also desperate for peace and have suffered immensely in the days since.
When we can do that - when we can hold that tension with tender, loving hands - it allows our faith to deepen and our love to broaden. It widens our hearts.
Friends, none of this is easy. But if it were easy, it wouldn’t be called faith. Faith requires wrestling with difficult stories and questions.
I invite you to remember the story of Jacob, who wrestles God through the night, demands a blessing, and walks away forever changed with a limp - and God blesses him with a new name: Israel, which means, he who wrestles with God.
We are often taught that to question stories of the Bible, or to ask hard questions, like how could God kill all of those Egyptian children? is unfaithful. But I’d encourage you to see it in another light: to do so is a mark of a strong and deepening faith.
Hold the tension. Ask God hard questions. Wrestle.
And you may walk away blessed and forever changed.
Dear God, not all of our stories of faith are simple or easy to digest. Some of them leave us feeling queesy. Be with us as we wrestle with these stories, God, and help us to never lose sight of what we know to be true about you: that you are a God of love, hope, and grace. Amen.
Embodied Practice
Sometime this week, find a comfortable place to sit and light a candle. Set a timer on your phone for 2 minutes and then set it aside. Allow yourself to sit in silence, quiet, and solitude. Let God come to you in the stillness.
Book Club is TODAY!
Join us as we discuss Anne Lamott’s Somehow: Thoughts on Love at noon PST//3pm EST AND the same day at 5pm PST//8pm EST. If you’ve previously signed up for book club, you should have received the Zoom link in your email this morning. If you didn’t, just reach out and I’ll re-send!
October Freebies
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On the Pod this week!
“Humanity was made through the outpouring of love within God. One doesn’t create out of the outpouring of love something bad or unbeautiful.” - Bridget Black
Bridget Black: An Embodied Faith
If human beings are made in the image of God, then how can we understand humans as instrinsically bad? Instead, from the beginning, God creates and calls humanity good. In this transformative conversation, spiritual director and theologian Bridget Black dives into what it means to be a human being made in God's image, what it means to bear that image in the world, and how we can experience God and the beauty of God more fully in this world.
Open your heart. Listen to some Good News. Fill your well.
Spotify | iTunes | Online
What’s Filling My Well
Experiencing God
Time outside. It’s amazing what breathing in fresh air and putting your feet in the grass can do for your soul.
Community
I’ve hit some bumps in the road with my work lately - whether it’s trying to figure out who to offer something as a paid subscription or setting up a big project, or the fact that we lost our childcare for two weeks while our nanny is out of town. But even so, as I hit those bumps, I feel the love and presence of those of you who are part of this community. I know I always have your support, and the loving support of friends and family, too. When the going gets tough, it helps to know there are people cheering us on.
Donuts
We have a tradition in our house: Donut Day! Most Saturdays, we walk to our little local grocery store and get donuts. There’s really nothing quite like the taste of a yummy maple bar to kick off your weekend.
We've gotta ask the hard questions! I hate that we were taught not to. Appreciate you.