Fearlessly Faithful

”No one can fight like Christians.” I heard this angry, frustrated lament from my mother when I was a teen. My parents’ tiny rural church was closing (in the face of rural depopulation), and the members were disposing of the church furnishings. Neighbors were scrapping about who should receive what and what should happen to some of the items.
We have all known congregational disputes and conflicted situations. Often these situations do not involve grand theological issues. Frequently they revolve around smaller issues: music, the welcoming of newcomers, or idiosyncrasies of the pastor. Moses finds that he too has some cranky, short-tempered followers among the Israelites wandering in the Sinai desert.
In today’s passage Moses finds his power amid these travails. While the story describes locating water for the people in the wilderness, we also hear Moses moving from lament to courage, from a “pity party” to bold action.
When we face grumpy, ungrateful followers and crabby Christians, we can easily grow cynical and cranky ourselves. But this passage offers a more healing approach. Just as Moses unpacks his laments before God, we too probably need to identify in prayer our own hurt, disappointment, and wounds. It can be healing simply to sit down with our pastor, with a safe friend or colleague, and name our own sorrows and wounds as we face difficult times. This enables us to set anger aside and seek a more healing, compassionate response.
God assures Moses, “I will be standing there in front of you.” In the tough times, we too can trust in God’s presence. Then, as Moses does, we can move ahead boldly to offer our gifts anew, trusting the Holy One will go with us, finishing what we start.