I’ve been vacillating about how much I want to pay attention to the news these days. With the inauguration following on the heels of the emotionally charged release of three hostages, my capacity for taking in the overwhelming coverage of every single moment surrounding the installation of the new president has been limited. And yet, I know that I cannot and must not look away. Over these past few days, I’ve been taking it in snippets - 10 minutes on the New York Times website here, a glance at a television report there. So it came to be that I caught a clip of Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s sermon during the national prayer service on Tuesday.
I’ve heard Bishop Mariann speak before - she delivered the sermon at my friend Father Aaron Dunn’s ordination service this past summer - and I’ve written and spoken with us about what I learned from her words. I have found her to be erudite and accessible, with an approach that is both rooted in tradition and speaks from a place of love and compassion. I was not, therefore, surprised by the depth of the words I heard in that small excerpt. What did blow me away, though, was the way she earnestly and deliberately spoke truth to power. Later on, I went and found the video of her whole sermon (you can watch it here if you haven’t seen it yet - and I recommend that you do). Hearing her words in their entirety only reinforced my sense of awe and gratitude. We look to our religious leaders to be a voice of moral clarity, to help guide us through challenging times. Bishop Mariann did exactly this, speaking passionately about the importance of fostering unity. She explained that unity is not uniformity or conformity, that the truest form of unity exists across diversity. For such unity to take root, it must be based on three principles: recognizing human dignity; commitment to honesty; and humility. While the words of her sermon are broadly applicable and relevant to any moment of leadership transition, they also had a clear subtext, a message to the incoming leaders about the task that lies ahead for them as they work to govern a deeply divided country. Bishop Mariann also spoke directly to the president, beseeching him to show mercy to the people in our country, specifically the LGBTQ+ community and immigrants and asylum seekers, who are feeling frightened about the promised policy changes of the new administration. Her words were heartfelt and straightforward, and they have had an impact. Her bravery in speaking so boldly to the newly elected leaders, in speaking truth to power, revealed her own power. Hers is the power to influence hearts and minds, to teach people to lead and live with compassion. Having listened to her sermon, I can’t help but wonder how she prepared herself, emotionally and spiritually, for that moment. While I’m not sure that our parashah this week, Parashat VaEra, can answer that question, it does give us a window into Moshe’s emergence as a leader who also found the fortitude to speak boldly to one in power. From the moment we “meet” Moshe as an adult in the book of Exodus, he is uncomfortable with his role as a leader of the people. He worries that he won’t be heeded, that he’s not the right one for the job, that his speech difficulties will prevent him from succeeding. God’s plan for Moshe, however, is unwavering, and God continues to encourage him to lead, offering him both divine and human support, as well as new skills in working wonders. But Moshe still struggles with his confidence. Throughout most of the parashah, he continues to express doubt about his effectiveness. Moreover, we don’t hear his voice at all in the initial contacts with Pharaoh and the onsets of the first two plagues. We read of God’s script for him, the instructions for what he should say to Pharaoh, and then the text simply reports that Moshe and Aharon did as God commanded. This happens several times - until the horror of the second plague drives Pharaoh to come to Moshe and beg for it to stop. In this moment, we see a different Moshe. He responds to Pharaoh’s plea: “You may have this triumph over me: for what time shall I plead on behalf of you and your courtiers and your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses, to remain only in the Nile?” (Exodus 8:5) These are the first words to Pharaoh that we hear in Moshe’s voice. He starts calmly, in an almost conciliatory tone. After he and Pharaoh agree that the plague would come to an end the next day, Moshe concludes their interaction, his words leaving no question as to his (or God’s) power: “As you say—that you may know that there is none like Adonai our God.” (Exodus 8:6) This is not the Moshe of previous chapters. He is confident and bold in approaching Pharaoh, clearly and courageously making his point. After Moshe prays for the plague to end, it does end, and the text gives us something remarkable. Earlier, when God had given Moshe instructions for what to say and do, the Torah simply tells us, as I mentioned before, that Moshe and Aharon did as God commanded. Here, after Moshe steps fully into his role representing God’s opposition to Pharaoh, we read: “And Adonai did as Moses asked.” (Exodus 8:9) The power of his words not only cowed Pharaoh, but also spurred God into action. May Bishop Mariann’s words be accepted and enacted in the same way. Shabbat shalom.
1 Comment
Betsy dc
1/23/2025 03:00:32 pm
Thank you for your inspiring words in these tough times.
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