The book of Exodus recounts the epic journey of a people. The account centers around one person in particular, Moses, who serves as the protagonist for the deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Moses is deemed a significant religious figure not only in the Jewish tradition but also in Islam and Christianity. Muslims believe that Moses was one of the first great prophets who foretold the coming of Mohammed. Christians through out time have revered Moses as Liberator and Lawgiver, especially for imparting the Ten Commandments. Moses has been an inspiration of art, drama and song. Two of the songs included in this morning's service are African American spirituals. "Wade in the Water" relates the crossing of the Red Sea which some Christians view as foreshadowing the Christian rite of baptism. "Go down, Moses" with the steady refrain "Let my people go" became an anthem early on during the civil rights movement in the United States.

Despite the grandeur of his image, Moses was no saint. The portrayal of Moses in the Hebrew Scriptures is very human. His life was filled with obstacles and conflict. Moses response to that challenge was inconsistent. Ultimately, he acted with courage and wisdom but not before struggling with the very human emotions of fear, temper and doubt. Moses is the only man in the Hebrew Scriptures to encounter G-d face to face. Even though he engages in many direct conversations, these exchanges reveal an intimate and troubled relationship with G-d.

In honor of the Passover season, I am going to explore Moses' spiritual journey as told in the book of Exodus. There is a movement in biblical scholarship to uncover the historical truth behind the text. Although I find the search for history a fascinating and revealing exercise, I am not concerned today with whether the events found in the book of Exodus are true. Instead I am going to examine the story of Moses purely as narrative in order "to join the stories of our singular lives to the greater story of a whole community struggling to be free". (from Call to Worship by Mark Belletini)

Moses' birth and early childhood defied all odds. He was born the son of slaves in the land of Egypt. The Pharaoh had decreed the death of all male children born to the Israelites. When Moses was three months old and his mother could no longer hide him, she placed him in a basket among the reeds of the Nile. Pharaoh's daughter discovered him and even though she recognized the baby as a Hebrew, she decided to adopt him. His sister Miriam who had been watching from the reeds as a protector, leads the Pharaoh's daughter to hire their very own mother as a nursemaid. Thus Moses was rescued from death, nursed by his own mother, and raised in the Egyptian palace.

Although the tale of Moses' birth and childhood is familiar, the following chapter in Moses' story is more seldom told. "Some time after that, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his kinsfolk and witnessed their labors. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen. He turned this way and that and, seeing no one about, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand." [Ex. 2:11-12] This is a dramatic example of the impulses and excesses of which Moses was capable. From the moment when he identified with the Hebrew slave and struck out with violence against an Egyptian, he was no longer a prince. Moses took flight from Egypt and the Pharaoh to the land of Midian where he married into a family of shepherds and had children of his own.

One day as Moses was tending his flock in the wilderness he encountered a burning bush. Although the bush was ablaze amazingly it was not consumed by the flames. Moses moved closer to witness this wondrous occurrence. At that moment, G-d spoke to Moses out of the bush: "Moses! Moses!" He answered, "Here I am." And He said, "Do not come closer. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground" [Ex. 3:4-5] This passage reveals both the wonder and terror of a direct encounter with the Divine. Moses approached the bush in an attempt to grasp the impossibility that presented itself to him in the wilderness- a fire that does not consume. Fire is a conventional medium of divine presence. G-d demanded that Moses remove his shoes as a form of reverence.

The voice that spoke from the bush was that of the G-d of Moses' ancestors who had chosen to reveal Himself after years of silence and distance. His message was as follows: "I have surely seen the affliction of My people in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their task masters; yes, I am mindful of their sufferings. I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-" [Ex. 3:7-8] "Come, therefore, I will send you to Pharaoh, and you shall free my people, the Israelites from Egypt." [Ex. 3:10]

Moses, the slave turned prince turned fugitive turned shepherd, responded to G-d's request as any one of us might when presented with a seemingly impossible task: "Who me?!" Far from being awestruck or subservient, Moses argued loudly questioning his personal ability to accomplish the job. Moses first concern was that no one would believe him. To which G-d responded that He would accompany Moses and offer signs and wonders to convince people. Far from being comforted Moses continued: "Please, O Lord, I have never been a man of words, either in times past or now that You have spoken to your servant; I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." And the Lord said to him, "Who gives man speech?. . ."Now go and I will instruct you what to say." But he said, "Please, O Lord, make someone else Your agent." [Ex. 4:10-13] At this point, G-d became angry. G-d responded to this objection by assigning Moses' brother Aaron as a spokesman.

Moses was in a unique position to approach the Pharaoh. After all, Pharaoh's own daughter had raised him. He knew intimately the life of the Egyptians. At the same time, he had been protected by his sister Miriam and nursed by his mother both slaves. The brutality of the slave master against his kinsman had incited him to violence and caused him to give up every privilege. Although Moses had created a new peaceful life for himself in Midian, he too was mindful of the sufferings of his people.

Just as Moses was reluctant, how often are we resistant to embracing our unique part? When the sacred is revealed to us like a burning passion, how quick are we to douse the flames? Even if we come up with a good idea, we might not share it with others for fear that we will not be taken seriously. When the next step is revealed to us from a deep place of knowing, how often do we block the path of action by questioning our own ability? We argue with our innermost selves, "I am not articulate enough, smart enough, compassionate enough, wealthy enough to address that seemingly impossible task".

As it is written in the Talmud: "You are not expected to complete the work of the Eternal in your lifetime, but neither must you refuse to do your unique part." The faith of Israel is that the Divine is a continuing presence with humanity. We bring about the future through present actions. Instead of a predestined fate, human beings have free will to shape the course of history. The work of justice is a collective responsibility. Like Moses' brother Aaron, other people can contribute the skills that we do not possess.

When Moses took on the mantle of leadership, the very people who he sought to liberate confronted him with resistance. The danger of slavery was that the Israelites willingly endured it. Even after all the plagues and the escape from Egypt at the sound of the Pharaoh's army approaching, the Israelites cried out to G-d and to Moses that they would have rather lived as slaves than have to die in the wilderness. The Israelite's anxiety highlights once again the human resistance to change and risk.

The Passover holiday is observed for eight days and eight nights. Last night and tonight, a special ceremonial dinner called a Seder is held in Jewish homes. There are symbolic foods, prayers, rituals and songs that accompany the meal. In this way, families and friends retell the story of the Israelite's exodus from Egypt, their flight from slavery to freedom. The Haggadah is a book that guides the observance of the Seder. There are many versions and styles of texts (as was suggested in the story that added the ritual of Miriam's cup) however the main narrative always comes from the book of Exodus.

The celebration of Passover honors the blessings that surround and sustain us that might otherwise be taken for granted: the blessings of family and friends, the privilege of having a home and food to eat, the freedoms that were secured through the struggle of those who have gone before, the cycles of Nature. Like Moses before the burning bush, participants take the time to recognize that the place on which they stand is holy ground.

In reenacting the drama of the Israelite's journey to freedom, each participant recognizes that they are characters in this story of liberation whose conclusion is yet to unfold. The story invites understanding and application in our own times. A Passover seder involves the drinking of four cups of wine or grape juice each time pausing to bless the source of life that ripens the fruit upon the vine. However, people spill drops of wine for each plague as a symbol that our joy is not complete. Here are the ancient plagues alongside ten modern plagues listed in a Haggadah written by Unitarian Universalist minister Mark Belletini:

The River turned to blood Pollution of our waters and air
Frogs The extinction of whole species
Lice The degradation of destitution
Wild beasts Humans wage war on each other
Blight Healing is now a matter of dollars
Boils Innuendo and deceit are now normal
Hail The earth's rain forests are cut down
Locusts Excuses and privilege are rife
Night instead of Day The apathy which says "It's hopeless."
Death of the First Born Our children's future in the balance

Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery into the wilderness and just to the border of the Promised Land. It is poignant that Moses is only able to view the land of milk and honey from the top of Mount Nebo, never to enter himself. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses offers a beautiful farewell address to his people which was our second scripture reading this morning. [Deut. 30:11-14, 19] In it he states that the holy is not to be found above in the heavens, the holy is not to be discovered beyond the seas, nor is it to be imparted by other people. The holy is found in the heart and mouth of the self, if one chooses to heed it.

I find this address even more powerful knowing the spiritual journey of the speaker. The sacred is not above or beyond but within. Ultimate meaning is as close as your beating heart if you will only take the time to listen to the still small voice. You can choose to be a part of the very meaning of life. This does not mean knowing all the answers or having the resources all at once. Wrestling with the issues of existence is what life is all about. Even Moses and the Israelites faced resistance to claiming responsibility. However, Moses challenges us to choose for ourselves how we want to live.

Returning to this morning's prayer by Marge Piercy:
Let us love what is holy
with all our courage, with all our passion
with all our strength.
Let the words that have come down
shine in our words and our actions.
Let us teach our children to know and understand them.
Let us speak about what is good
and holy within our homes
when we are working, when we are at play,
when we lie down and when we get up.
Let the work of our hands speak of goodness.
Let it run in our blood and glow
from all the doors and windows of our beings. Amen.

Reference: Kirsch, Jonathan, Moses, A Life, N.Y.: Ballantine Publishing, 1998.