Lent Reading Day 7
A children's Bible we read at home describes this story as "the baby in the basket." The imperialistic Pharaoh has set out upon a program of ethnic cleansing, using all his power to wipe out the numerous Israelites. And yet his own daughter is the person to pull out from the jaws of death the child that will grow to lead the Israelites to a freedom at the expense not only of Pharaoh's pride but also his power.
It's a cute story. That's why my daughters enjoy it. That's why the Prince of Egypt was such a success in the movie theaters. Yet it's deeper than just cute, trite, or sweet. Pharaoh's daughter makes a choice - she seems to me to clearly know what she's doing and who is the biological mother of the child. She makes a choice to protest against her father's policy, to speak her mind, what she believes to be true - not only with her words, but also with her actions. She not only saves the baby in the basket that day, but his mother and sister as well. Her compassion and mercy are actually acts of justice and revolution. A recent newspaper column, the last written before her death from cancer, of Molly Ivins invited readers to politcial action, to acts of justice in simple, coherent, seemingly cute yet revolutionary ways.
How is God inviting us today to stand up and go outside like Pharaoh's daughter and take some action?
Art by He Qi, "Finding of Moses"
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