Why are we here?

Last February we were sitting in on Bob Ekblad's Regent class, Exodus and Liberation. He pointed out that the Hebrew word, rahah, which means to see shows up several times in the first three chapters of Exodus and is connected to liberating acts. In chapter one the Hebrew midwives see the Hebrew baby boys and disobey Pharaoh's command to kill them before they are born. Moses' mother sees Moses and hides him then puts him in a basket. Pharaoh's daughter sees Moses and has pity on him and raises him as her own. In chapter two Moses sees the Hebrews being treated harshly by the Egyptian overseer and kills him. And in chapter three at the burning bush, Yahweh says, "I have seen... I have heard... I am concerned... I have come down... I have seen" and this leads Yahweh to send Moses.

At the end of the day we did an exercise called The Meeting Place. Try this for yourself. Close your eyes and imagine your favorite place to meet with Jesus. Picture yourself there. Picture Jesus there. What do you want to say to Him there? Now ask Him, "If You could meet with me some place different, where would You want to meet with me?" Does the place change? Ask Him why? Or why not?

When we did this exercise I started with Jesus in the Enchantments, one of the most beautiful places in Washington, high in the mountains outside Leavenworth, WA. One of my favorite places. When I asked Jesus where He wanted to meet with me I suddenly found myself in a garbage dump! This is neither what I expected or wanted. I asked Him why there? He said He wanted me to see. Rahah.

Later, one student in the class told me of a trip he and his wife made to Egypt. They climbed Mt. Sinai hoping for a spiritual experience but found it hot, dry and dusty. But later they were invited to a ministry that takes place in the dump where many people live and found the Presence of Jesus there.

So, here I am, beginning to see.