The Echos of History
They say history has a tendency to repeat itself.
Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt. "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country." So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.
Exodus 1:8-12 (BSB)
I read this verse recently, and I couldn't help but notice how loudly it echos in our modern day.
Fear drives us to do terrible things.
My heart has been deeply grieved by the reports of ICE raids, and as I have begun to look more into the issues of immigration, I am at a loss for how we have strayed so far away from Love.
History has repeated itself. America has chosen fear over love. We have chosen a fear rooted in the projection of our own evils. America was founded on the genocide of those who lived in the land before us. Now that we call this patch of dirt our home, we expect those entering who do not look like us to act with the same cruelty.
We fear that those who don't look like us will act the same as we have.
Continuing down the path of fear may lead us to do even more terrible things. We may repeat even darker parts of history whose echos are beginning to be heard.
The Egyptians feared and then hated the people of God.
Who are you in the story?
Are you one who fears, hates, and oppresses the Children of God?
Are you a Child of God who is an outsider, oppressed by a nation set on preserving their way of life?
Are you Moses, a Child of God raised to be an oppressor, who uses the power and privilege you've been given to free your brothers and sisters?
Will you love your neighbor?
The choice is yours.
You are Love.