GO FORTH!

“No one can tell what goes on in between the person you were and the
person you become. No one can chart that blue and lonely section of hell.
There are no maps of the change. You just …come out the other side.”
(Stephen King, The Stand, p. 449)

This was the experience of many religious leaders such as the Buddha, Jesus, Muhammed, Lao Tzu and one of my favorites, Moses. This passage by Stephen King struck me because, as we approach Passover, I've been thinking of the story of the biblical character Moses, the people of Israel and the journey they took. They are at the end of the story so very different than they are at the beginning of the story. And the Moses at the beginning of the story is like you or me.

I am an American in the 21st century. All around me – not in the palace of my suburban house or street, but certainly in my community and throughout the world – there are people suffering from the abuse of power, the cruelty of enslavement, the grind of inhumane living conditions. And yet, my daily life as a princess of the world continues with warmth, love and comfort. Yes, surely I try to “do my part” to alleviate some of the burden of others. But at the end of the day, I really just want to be snug as a bug in a rug with my family and friends.

Moses was similar -- until he stepped out of his box and, in a moment of passion, without premeditated planning or excuses, he acted to right a wrong. His intention was not to take on the whole system. Not at that point. That came later. At this point he was just reacting to a particular situation. He wasn’t even thinking of the consequences. But having done the “right thing” and as rationality began to sink in making him realize that he could “lose his job” as well as his place in society, he retreated. He “gave it all up”, went out to the country and lived off the land.

It was there where he comes into contact with the power of the universe, that which we call G-d. And Moses came into contact with G-d because he took the first step by turning toward the burning bush to listen. That’s one of the things about Moses – and the whole story – which often gets lost in the telling. The liberating freedom and change only came when Moses and the people went forth took the uncharted steps with "no map of the change." But like so many of us, they did it kicking and screaming. Moses comes up with a lot of reasons why he shouldn't be the one to lead. And the power of the universe just keeps saying "go, go forth, go."

It really is remarkable when you read the book of Exodus, which means to go forth, how often the verb 'to go' is used! Go, go, go…And I don't think it's accidental that the story begins with the details of his birth. Because birth itself is CERTAINLY a going forth, kicking and screaming, without knowing the consequences! So this regular guy – who tried to get out of being called because of his perceived weaknesses -- went back and took on the greatest power structure of his time even though it wasn't comfortable, safe or easy!

I can think of a number of people in history and in the world today who are similar. There are the ones who quickly come to mind like Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King. Leaders who could have had a much easier life if they had just kept quiet. But there's also Aung San Suu Kyi, the political leader in Myanmar who was under house arrest for many, many years because she demanded free elections in her country and young Malala Youssef who was shot in the face for saying girls in Pakistan should have an education yet still continues to speak up. Or the hotel manager in Rwanda who saved over 1,000 people during the genocide in his country. There are the whistle blowers such as who spoke up about dangers at their companies. Or the imprisoned soldier who refuses to go to war because it's an unjust war. Or the cartoonists at Charlie Hebdo – who, while I disagree with their using pictures of Muhammed, bravely faced threats and ultimately death in the name of their freedom to do so. And the survivors are continuing in their footsteps. "No one can chart that blue and lonely section of hell."

Even in our unheroic everyday lives it's difficult to step out of our safety zone to help others.  What about the kid -- or teacher -- who sees someone being teased, or knows that cheating is rampant, or sees an injustice in their community? Will they speak out?  What about the old woman who is sitting on the sidewalk, hungry, cold and muttering to herself?  Will we offer her shelter or take her to a shelter?  Or will we speak up for ourselves or a colleague who we suspect is being abused, sexually, domestically, or racially?

It’s not easy. We know our comfort zone even when we’re not comfortable there. To step off the edge of the abyss, not knowing what will happen, how you will fall or if you will get hurt is scary. It’s easier to stay put and put up. How willing and courageous are any of us to make change?

When Moses finally gets the people out of Egypt, when they are no longer enslaved, what kind of response do they give him? The first time that they lift up their voices and speak -- what do they say? You might think that liberation would bring joyous appreciation and gratitude. After all, Moses has gone out of his way to help, to find another way, trying to change the status quo and give them freedom. And he did some amazing things to make it happen. You might think that they had enthusiastic confidence in his leadership. After all, he’d gotten them out of difficulty already. Perhaps they would now have the fortitude and courage to take charge of their lives. After all, they had a good role model for such behavior.

Wrong. No sooner are the people free then they find themselves between a vast sea in front of them and the fierce army of Pharaoh behind them. They do what most of us would do: They complain and blame. Thanks a lot Moses, they decry sarcastically. "What a revoltin' development this is" -- and it's your fault! We would have been better off staying where we were, with what was known and comfortable than out here in this god forsaken land where we’re sure to die. As bad as the bad old days were, they weren’t as scary as being here at a moment of change at the edge of the abyss. The past, no longer accepting them but still pursuing them will do them in. The future is nothing but a shimmering pool to drown in.

But the story doesn't end there. Nor does the Red Sea just open up and separate. No, before their way becomes clear, before they have an alternative that will save them, they need to start walking into the water. They need to take the step into the abyss. They need to go forth. Only then will their lives change, only then will they no longer be hounded by the habits of the past. Only then will they find freedom.

Can we, like Moses, like the people of Israel, like heroes around the world step out beyond our comfort zone, pass-over the status quo mentality and make the changes in our lives and in this world that need to be made? It will change us if we do. Because like Moses and the people of Israel, anyone who "goes forth" on a journey to change things will be changed in the process. Which brings me back to Stephen King:

“No one can tell what goes on in between the person you were and the
person you become. No one can chart that blue and lonely section of hell.
There are no maps of the change. You just …come out the other side.”
(Stephen King, The Stand, p. 449)


So go forth, enjoy the scary journey and be courageous!