Bigger Chariots Won't Save Us

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH September 11, 2011 Rev. Mark R. Miller Exodus 14:19-31 “Bigger Chariots Won’t Save Us” It seems like every generation has its “do you remember when?” moment. Remember the Alamo, was the rallying cry in 1836 when America headed off to war with Mexico. Remember the Maine, was the rallying cry in 1898 when America headed to war with Spain. Remember the Lusitania was the rallying cry in 1915 when America joined the First World War in Europe. And December 7th, the day which will live in infamy, was the rallying cry when America headed into the Second World War following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Lesser known are the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, or the USS Maddox Incident, which became the rallying cry for our invasion of Vietnam. And for this generation we have, Remember 9/11. This was the rallying cry as the War on Terror began. We are currently in the middle of the longest war this nation has ever seen. While it is no longer the top story on the evening news there are still people fighting and dying in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and elsewhere. How did we end up here? Ten years ago there were four commercial planes hijacked with the intent of turning them into weapons, flying bombs. Two of those planes hit two towers of the world trade center and brought down three towers. One plane was flown into the Pentagon in Washington DC and one crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Most of us know the story and can probably tell you exactly where we were when it happened. The shock, the fears, the pain, and the uncertainty; it is this and many other things that we remember on this day about 9/11. However, one day, just like the Maine and Lusitania, these memories will no longer convey pain but only historical curiosity. And when that happens, when the memories are gone and the historians finally have access to all the information, the story will be able to be dissected with dispassionate historical accuracy. So please know that is not my intent on this day. Today we gather to remember, as best we can, and maybe help make sense of where we have come so we might have clarity for the future. As always, in order to do this, we have to go back. And today we go back to the sacred stories of our faith. We will seek to remember these stories as our stories by the virtue of our faith in Jesus Christ. In preparing for today I looked at the scripture lessons from the lectionary, the three year cycle of readings we use to work our way through the bible. In there I came across the Exodus passage and could not walk away. It seemed there might be something of value for Christians living in a time of high militarism in a nation which struggles with its superpower status and its inability to deal with pain. One to one comparisons are never fair. After all, there is no one comparable to the terrorists which attacked innocent civilians on this day ten years ago. In fact, it is Egypt who is seeking to kill the innocent civilians, but they are a nation and not a group of outlaws, so the comparisons fail. However, it is worth considering what, if any, lessons might be contained in this story known as the parting of the Red Sea. In the story of the Exodus we hear a lot about the slaves and oppression but we do not hear much about Egypt as a society. The only glimpse we get of the devastation brought upon that country is through the King and his advisors. In fact, if this was a modern drama each one of the former king’s advisors would be working the talk show circuit selling their book with the ‘real story,’ in its pages. Without that, we can only make guesses at what might have been going on. What we do know is that the great nation of Egypt was in ruins. This former superpower has had its economic sources attacked through horrible plagues. Food was devastated and the people were so depressed they could not even move or work. And this was before the loss of their firstborn children. So even before they have lost their children they are already asking why this has happened. When the economy and the society is in ruin, the King does not care. That is basically how he works. Driven by greed he works the slaves harder than any of his predecessors. When they complain he makes life harder. And what does he do for the people of his country, the people of Egypt, who have little say in the decision of the King? All they know is what they are told: the Hebrew slaves are the enemy to be feared. As his society is falling apart all he can do is make life harder on the Hebrews and point to them if his own people complain. The King does have moments of clarity but they are few and far between. Each moment is short lived which leads to further devastation. With the first born of every living creature sacrificed on the altar of the King’s greed, he finally allows the Hebrew slaves their freedom. It is a time of national grief and mourning and his greed will not rule the day. On this day the King is one of the people in their grief. On this day the King knows what his greed has cost. However, kings are not often ones for self reflection and the story does not end there. The crossing of the Hebrews to the other side of the sea is a power story. Just as Moses is brought from death out of the Nile, the Hebrew people are brought out of certain death under the hooves and wheels of the chariots. It is a day for celebrating and remembrance. But the remembrance of this passage isn’t about a military victory or a way to rally folks to war. It is a somber moment where a mighty army is destroyed because it overreached. The mighty army was no match for a defenseless people when God says, enough! Because Pharaoh could not hear enough, Egypt must mourn again. The mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, and other family members left behind will remember this day as a day of loss and sadness. There will be no battle hymns written or remembrance written in the annals of the kings. It will be as if all of this never happened because it did not fit with imperial myths of superpower. There is a Hebrew Midrash that talks about a conversation that God has with the angels on this day. When the angels ask to break out in song God says no. God says no because on that day his creatures died. It was an important reminder that this national tragedy of Egypt did not have to happen or even go this far. It is a reminder that with all the chariots in the land nothing will compensate for a leader or a people who are not able to be self-reflective. Bigger chariots will only lead to greater loss, mourning, and more hubris. I do not make one to one comparisons. This passage is not a prophetic oracle to the events of ten years ago. That would be wrong and insult to the thousands of men and women who died. It would also run the risk of turning Osama Bin Laden into Moses when in reality he is just another pharaoh who uses myth and religion and his enormous wealth for his own hubris. Instead, I see it as a reminder of what can happen when we refuse to face our pain. I remember where I was ten years ago. I remember going to church that night and I remember the words of our leaders. Everywhere I went people were ignoring their pain and looking for someone to kill. When Egypt lost its children Pharaoh too could not face the pain very long. Someone had to die. Unfortunately, it was more of his own people. I know the danger that exists in this world is real but there is also the natural human need for simplicity and cathartic killing. Unless we hear the prophetic voice of these our sacred texts we will not be able to tell the difference. More will die and more will mourn. As people who were attacked on that day, it is right to feel pain and anger and want to get even. That makes us human. If we didn’t have those feelings there would be something wrong. But as Christians we are called to look into the face of Jesus and ask some hard questions. Reflexive responses are not our calling and they are not our way. Let us remember this day the deaths of so many on that day and the deaths that continue even now. Let us never forget so that we will not make the mistakes of Egypt and sacrifice any more of our children on the altar of greed or hubris. Amen.