I'm going to pray a prayer if you wouldn't feel like it. God, our Father, we ask you to send your good spirit over our hearts to your word, that it may continue to be a creative influence in our lives, freeing us. You freed being from nothingness, Israel from Egypt, Jesus from death. I hope you don't mind the light. It helps me. I don't like that glare from the window. I would like to see you this morning then to move into the material in a more direct and immediate way, the first evil conflict is always a difficult thing psychologically.

[01:06]

First of all, I'm not sure who is supposed to be there. I'm still not sure if everybody here is. But even more so, there's always a certain amount of sizing up that goes on in the first conflict. The first conflict is sort of a throwaway. You know, and I don't think it makes much difference what is said. Really, it's sort of like, you know, what's going to happen, what are we in for, you know? And, in spite of our best efforts, I'm afraid we make judgments which are probably a little rash, either for or against. I have long since given up any illusions about the possibility of being you know, completely understood. So I brought a lot of chicken feed here. You know, you can test it.

[02:08]

If you like a piece of corn, take it. If not, you can throw it away. But it overwhelmed me a bit. I recall something that happened last June. I gave a retreat at Holy Cross Center in Colorado. And after I had gotten into my material for Halfway Through the Retreat, established my feelings and all that. I left the afternoon conference and went to the recreation room. And I kind of sat down on this couch and got the paper out. And then I heard one of the older fathers out in the hallway beating one of his conference. He says, I didn't see you at the conference this afternoon. Of course, I didn't know I was there. I was behind the paper. And he says, no, I couldn't make it. He said, what are you talking about? Well, I didn't get the stamp. I said, well, he said something about hope. Something about hope.

[03:09]

The guy said, the other fellow said, well, that's what he talked about this morning. And I went to this fellow and said, no, no, he developed a whole new theme, a whole new dimension of hope. It was the same subject, but a whole different thing. And the guy said, you know, I guess you're right. Well, you know, he's got the topic right. He's got both. But it's amazing sometimes how distinctions are overlooked, and everything's... And so I... That's no problem. Take what you find useful. The rest... you know, leave Germany for some other time. Now, at the end of the conference, I mentioned that I think both the exodus of Israel from Egypt and the culminating and definitive exodus, which in fact defying the full meaning of the exodus from Egypt, namely the exodus of Jesus,

[04:28]

from our human condition filled with death and finality, to an open-ended experience which we cannot even imagine, that this is liberation in the most absolute, causal sense. And that is what salvation means, the beginning, the end, liberation. And we can speculate about why we have been afraid to identify salvation as liberation. Of course, freedom is a very dangerous thing. It can be abused. These people are not able to handle freedom. It's very hard to entrust freedom to someone. One is afraid to entrust freedom to himself. I would like to bind myself to all kinds of strictures God knows what I'll do if I discover that I'm free, that I really can make decisions and influence and change things.

[05:35]

So there's a great temptation to get ourselves into a definition of salvation which is made up of a checklist, made up of a pattern, a model. Well, I think we have to begin there. But the most unfortunate thing is there is a childhood period in everybody's life, an adolescent period, sometimes the most horrible 40, 50 years old is there. And you have to go through the ropes. But all of this is a preliminary to dealing with freedom. The possibility of making meaningful decisions. responsible decisions and we must never cease reminding ourselves that the whole biblical message and therefore I think revelation is summed up in those words of God spoken to Pharaoh through Moses, let my people go.

[06:51]

So much so that In any form of judgment, final or otherwise, the question I think will be, did you let my people go? The first question will not be, did you follow certain procedures? Did you keep your hands under your skin? The first question, and maybe the last one, as far as that's concerned, because we have to get to that goal. Did you let my people go? Were you an influence for liberating people from their fears, their anxieties, their hang-ups, their guilt? Did you forgive my people? Did you release them? Was that the overall influence you had upon your fellow man? Or did you bind them by reminding them of their weaknesses?

[07:56]

reminding them of their sin in all kinds of subtle ways. Did you bind them? Did you play the Pharaoh's role? Did you bind them by sizing them up in a utilitarian way? In a calculating way? We shall look for some of the implications of this I think the moral covenant imposed on Israel or offered to Israel was gratefully and freely accepted. But first of all, I think we must note what is equally important with the identification of salvation with liberation. Namely, what brings this about? What was the real cause of the Exodus?

[08:59]

What was the power that liberated Israel from Egypt? Now, a cursory reading of the text would seem to indicate that God brought more power into Egypt than the Pharaoh had. For you have the example of Moses, Contesting with the magicians of the pharaoh. You're understaffed, [...] under That's only to get your attention. Now, the real power which liberated Israel from Egypt was what the Bible calls, as Christ has said, loving concern, loving care.

[10:13]

Father, I translate it, not just love, especially not all the implications of love romantic and passionate sense. So loving care, loving concern, solicitude. And when you analyze it, the reason is simple. It could not have been this coercive power. Because if that is all that God brought into Egypt, then the result would not be the creation of a new people free from bondage. Another example would have been the change of political regime in Egypt. They used Pharaoh. God would be the Pharaoh. The new and stronger Pharaoh, which is not salvation. Power, that kind of power,

[11:20]

even if it destroys the Pharaoh, simply replaces him with a new Pharaoh. Power enslaves. That kind of coercive muscle power is always enslaved. No, God has this power, but everything in the Bible indicates He does not cherish it. He displays it every once in a while. who then throws it away. Jesus coming in radical weakness is God showing us what he thinks about his power. That kind of power which can make things happen. That kind of power which always enslaves is the property of Pharaoh. very, very dangerous thing, so much so that the New Testament almost suggests pray every day that you do not have power.

[12:24]

Now you've been destroyed. Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the needy. Blessed are the people who don't have power. But then they don't know the risk of being destroyed by the use of this power in an abusive way. power at its place, but it must be constantly dominated and controlled by Tessil, by loving and serving. The Kingdom gave Israel her identity and her freedom and enabled her to walk away from this situation of bondage and to have hope and find a name and a destiny was this look of God, which was not cold and calculating, but warm and personal and creative, that saw in Israel a possibility of freedom, that did not say, well, I can't attest freedom to you because I know, I know, you're only a child, you'll abuse it,

[13:41]

cannot be trumpeted with freedom. There, I told you, see, you abused it, by the way. Well, you know, one of the surest ways to guarantee somebody will abuse freedom is to give it to them distrustfully. Here it is, take it, I know what you're going to do with it. There, see, truth. People almost necessarily respond to expectations. I expect someone who gives us freedom becomes almost impossible to do otherwise. God gave Israel freedom in a way that said, I know you'll have trouble with it. I am sure that you will be able to handle it. It will eventually make the most of it. It's very difficult, it will be a fine thing to do. loving kindness, loving concern, always gives freedom.

[14:47]

And it's the only thing that gives freedom. The only thing that produces salvation. There are places for threatening and inculminating and promising all kinds of dire consequences, but ultimately people are not saved by that. They are saved by discovering that someone believes that they can be better than they are. Someone tells them something that they themselves have ceased to believe. Maybe that they can overcome their shortcomings, rise above their fears, leave that place of bondage, the place of guilt. And so, where there is this kind of loving care, and where it is about to produce the freedom it always produces, there will be a healthy kind of order.

[15:59]

An order based upon the needs of people and not on the needs of schedule. in order which will be a little frayed at the edges, not quite neat, but nonetheless a true and authentic order. And most of all, there will be a good, beneficent, supportive atmosphere, because those who are cherished and valued and discover personal freedom and identity through this, are then able and invited and even commanded to do the same to others. There's no kind of virtuous circle in this battle. A saving process is initiated. This is really what the Exodus was supposed to do.

[17:06]

and the Passover meal every year was to relive the exodus and to remind Israel of her possibilities to continue what God had begun. That brings us then to the covenant. First of all, the covenant as it is recorded in the Bible and especially in the Ten Commandments, which is the code of the covenant, part of it. It's not something imposed on Israel as a burden. Not ten hoops that she has to leap through, fiery hoops, in order to earn heaven. No. We've made a great mistake, I think, in not reading the context of the Ten Commandments.

[18:07]

I recall in the good old days when I was a child, all the apostatology of the Christians was reduced more or less to the Ten Commandments. We've got everything in there. Well, that's the convenient way to do it, because we even know many of those things are in relation to the Ten Commandments. Of course, we haven't put the members of the Church into a collection of everything here. But I've forgotten 6th commandments of the church. But the 10th commandments, you know, we kind of, but we forgot the context. We forgot that the 10 commandments are introduced by God reminding Israel, as He does in chapter 19 of Exodus, and commandments following in chapter 20. I have lifted you up on eagle wings and brought you to myself." 19.5 and 6. Even Father Justin Crowder all those years ago said this is the focal point of the whole Old Testament.

[19:14]

Oh, sure, fellas. He said, this is the central text. I have lifted you up on eagle wings and brought you to myself. Because I have freed you, because I have cared for you, because I have made you fly, and you thought to never fly again, therefore you shall be my covenant, and you shall be to me a priestly people." And in case you don't know what that means, first of all, I shall have no other God before me, secondly, and so forth. Then these ten are over and you will feel them come around. There'll be subdivisions. Plenty of other opportunities to channel this. And Israel, the whole context indicates Israel, you know, understood this. So much so that one could paraphrase this whole situation by Israel saying, well, this is not what Israel did.

[20:19]

She didn't say, well, I'll liberate Egypt, but there's got to be a cut somewhere. You know, that's 22. What is it out there? I knew it. Same old stuff again, you know. You're not free. No. Israel said, we are free. Thank God Almighty. Free and glad. That's Martin Luther King on the 55. I'm not sure if it will be canonized, but he on the 55. Thank God Almighty for bringing it last. Let my people go. Now, a song in 135, I think, it came in around there somewhere. It used to be Wednesday at Vespers. You know, I believe. Anyway, it was a Vespers song. It talks about how Israel felt about the Exodus. And it says, ye mountains, why do you skip like lambs?

[21:21]

Remember that? He heals like spring lambs. So he says, no answer is given. He says, you know, ponderous mountains are so overjoyed, so enthused by this experience of exodus, that even the mountains can't maintain their dignity. The impression is given that mountains are supposed to be rather solemn. You know, they're cajoling like spring lambs. Even mountains, they often become technical. And so, no answer is given because no answer is possible. It's obvious why the mountains must come working like lambs, because we are free. We're free. Someone cares for us. We live as long as possible. Here we are, out in the desert, no longer forward to a quota to be filled.

[22:26]

And they say in effect to God, Lord, continue to show your kindness to us by telling us, please, how to use this freedom, how to channel it, how to be your people. We don't know how to be your people. We don't know what to do with this freedom that you have given us. By the way, I have another reason why it's so hard to see salvation as freedom. If salvation is cleanliness, then it's clear what you do. Stay at bed all night, if you can afford it. And stay away from dirty places. No, do nothing if possible. I mean, I'm overstating it, but you see the implications. Cleanliness means stay away from dirty places, sin and sinners. if possible, and even some heretical versions of monasticism have gone down this path. You know?

[23:32]

They certainly clean places. Smell the ether almost. Well, those are the places where you get staphylococcus infections. First of all. Anyway, I sometimes think the Pharisees reeked of ether. Well, certainly not thoroughly. On another example of the lack of cleanliness, I'm convinced the Israelites reeked of sheep. As any cattleman knows, you know, shepherds, that's the thing they disliked about the most of all. They smelled of sheep. It says in Exodus, the Egyptians could not tolerate the Israelites because they smelled of sheep. You get that order in you and you never get it out. But you see, when you're clean, or when salvation is order, and only that, then the moral question, the question of responsibility, cannot be properly asked.

[24:37]

clean to stay clean, order to keep order. No, but when you are free, then the question is, what do I do with my freedom? And that emphasis is on do. Freedom is for action. Freedom is for creation. And what does one do with freedom? Well, it's clear as crystal in the Bible. You shall do with your freedom what you saw God doing with you. You shall bring loving concern into all the places of violence. You shall continue the exodus. You shall make the divine influence and presence effective in your world. That is the great responsibility, covenant responsibility laid upon Israel.

[26:01]

And it is not something that God thought up. It is inevitable and necessary in the very experience of being liberated. It is simply a discovery of what liberation means. As soon as one analyzes why one is free, it becomes clear that one is free because God was free and chose to care for me. God chose His people. You know, awesomely, the Old Testament talks about, you know, why did God choose Israel? Some anonymous author, He said, how odd of God to choose the Jews. It wasn't a straight saying to find out, I'm speaking for some reason. How odd of God to choose the Jews.

[27:04]

Israel would have heard that. In themselves, they were not that attracted. But He chose them. And the experience of being freed by loving care is an experience of being chosen. You know, when you stop looking behind you and you see when somebody else has done it, then you know that you're beginning to be free. And so, Israel's responsibility is to use her freedom as much as she has. No more, no less. And all the freedom that she has received, to do what God did, to make the accidents occur over and over again in all the situations of life. This is brought out in chapter 24 of Deuteronomy.

[28:10]

There are many, many other places, but this is perhaps one of the clearest places. Deuteronomy is not where you might look or drink. theological text, but lo and behold, there it is. It says, when you go into this land, which I shall give to you, you shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow's garment and fledge. Now that's before the little translation. This three classic examples of vulnerable and defenseless people. The wayfarer, away from home, away from his relatives, those they have not been exposed because there's no local police. The only defense you have is your big brother. Wayfarer exposed, defenseless, weak, vulnerable, and then of course the widow and the orphan. Three examples, but not by any means.

[29:12]

The only possible example. You shall not take advantage of weaker people. You shall not take advantage of those who are greater body than yourself. You shall not play this game of one-upmanship. Why should you not do that? It's so tempting. You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and Yahweh your God redeemed you from that place. Therefore I command you to do this. This occurs over and over again. Israel, to the degree that she understands what happened to her in Exodus, to the degree that she understands the moral imperative involved in freedom, will use that freedom, that power now that she has, not to take advantage of those who are weaker, but to free them.

[30:19]

We shall take the pagulists and the orphans and the wayfarers into your home, give them a feast that cherishes them, and make them free. Why? Because that's what I did for you. I did not take advantage of you. I did not say, look at Israel, how funny they are making those tricks. Well, that's what they deserve. God knows such sinful people. No, I did not hold your sin against you. I did not make fun of your weakness. I cherished you, forgave you. The immense amount of fun that gave you freedom. The ramifications of this, I can assure you are far-reaching. My temptation is to see religion and salvation in terms of people, rules and regulations, neatly conforming to certain patterns.

[31:34]

I don't have a place for that. But the great moral imperative is, have I used my freedom to give freedom to others? Love them into freedom to do the divine thing.

[31:57]

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