Torah for Christians: Beginning the Journey
TORAH FOR CHRISTIANS
SEASON FOUR EPISODE 10
BEGINNING THE JOURNEY
“Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, ‘Let me go back to my kinsmen in Egypt and see how they are faring.’ And Jethro said to Moses, ‘Go in peace.’”
Exodus 4.18
All journeys begin with the first step. We’ve all heard that one before. But there is a Jewish maxim that’s even better. Let’s begin the journey. I’m Rabbi Jordan Parr and this is Torah for Christians.
MUSIC
Welcome to Torah for Christians. I’m Rabbi Jordan Parr.
There is a famous Hebrew axiom that is especially pertinent here: “All beginnings are difficult.” The hardest part of a journey is getting started. Once we begin the walk, we can find meaning in both the journey and the destination. The first steps, however, can be daunting.
I can only imagine the discussion that took place between Moses and Jethro, his father-in-law. It might have gone something like this:
“Dad?”
“Yes, Moses.”
“Do you remember the trouble I had with that sheep the other day? Well, he wandered off again and this time, something amazing happened!”
“What could possibly have happened, Moses?”
“I followed this sheep up to the top of Mount Sinai and saw this bush. It was burning but was not consumed. I stopped to look at it for some time, but it just kept burning.”
“Nonsense, Moses. Bushes catch fire in the desert all the time but then they burn out. You must be mistaken.”
“No. I swear this bush kept burning and burning. And then I heard a voice; it was the voice of God.”
“And what did this voice tell you to do?”
“This God was called Ehyeh. Ehyeh told me that I had to go back to Egypt and free my fellow Hebrews from their slavery.”
“He said What?!”
“You heard me. I have to go back to Egypt and confront Pharaoh.”
“But Pharaoh will kill you. And my daughter and grandsons, too.”
“That’s a risk I have to take. After all, I can’t say no to God. You keep Zipporah and the kids here, then. No sense risking their lives, too.”
“Very well, Moses. Go. But be very careful – and come back alive to see me when you have completed your task.”
Moses had lived with Jethro for forty years. Jethro was Moses’ “father figure” and his employer. He married Jethro’s daughter and gave him two grandsons. He was secure living among the Midianites – but God told him to go back to Egypt. And so, he did.
Walking back to Egypt with Aaron, his brother, Moses must have devised a plan. It must have been a daunting task. Implementing the plan would also be hard but at least there was a goal.
How many of us know what we want – but can’t seem to map out a process to achieve our goals? Isn’t the hardest part of going to college filling out the enrollment forms? Between the confusing application, asking for references, sending the transcripts, any academic or psychological testing, the fees and tuition to be paid, the financial aid application, the site visits and even the personal interviews – it’s no wonder that so many potential applicants give up before they even click on the website to start.
Yet, we know what we want. We might even know how to get what we want. But we are afraid to take the first steps to get what we want. Why is that?
Often, people attribute lack of success to laziness, incompetence, or just plain old bad luck. In many cases, I attribute it to fear – the fear of getting started – which is often the same as the fear of failure, both of which paralyze us and keep us from even starting to fulfill our life dreams.
If you are like me, your eternal goal when it comes to health is to lose weight and exercise. Everyone wants this; it’s been engrained in our brains since we were toddlers: stay fit and you’ll live a long and healthy life. So, let’s say that we decide to eliminate sweets and walk outside for 30 minutes every morning; we assume that we will lose weight. Our sugars and bad carbs will go down and our metabolism will go up; it’s a safe and sure formula for weight loss.
We start on a Monday morning with great enthusiasm. But on Wednesday, there is an office party for your boss’ retirement, and somebody hands you a piece of cake. Since you have been “good” for all of two days, you decide to treat yourself to that piece of cake – and then a second piece, along with some fruit, cheese, and crackers – and maybe a glass of wine.
After your binge, you realize that you are right back where you started. You commit again to cutting out sugars and carbs. But Friday is your spouse’s birthday. Another party. Another cake. This time, you say no to the cake and munch on the carrots instead. You make your spouse/partner/friend extremely happy as well. It is a hard beginning, but you feel great for saying no. And then, when the next excuse for cheating rolls around, it is easier to say no since you have already said no once. Besides, you are finally fitting into those “thin” clothes in your closet, and you sell or donate the “fat clothes!”
What are some of the obstacles to your goals? If your 10-year goal, for example, is to earn a Ph.D in your field, some of the obstacles may be a lack of money, family obligations (perhaps you are a single parent and being a full-time student will not work out). There may be religious considerations to consider or too much overtime at work. There may not be a quality graduate school in the area; the reasons for not doing it are endless.
Now, consider ways to overcome each obstacle. If, for example, there is not a quality graduate school in the area, perhaps there is an online option, with only an occasional trip to the home campus. Perhaps you can relocate. If money is the problem, perhaps your company will pay for your education if you promise them a certain number of years of service after receiving your degree. Maybe you have a “rich uncle” who can help you. Maybe you qualify for a grant or a scholarship – or even do a work-study program.
As Mr. Spock of Star Trek fame famously said, “There are always alternatives.” We may just need to look harder to find them.
Even with this kind of planning and goal setting, it truly is hard to get started. It is a fearful time when we realize that we are on the cusp of something new and that we are leaving the security of the present, no matter how unpleasant it may be, for the uncertainty of the future. A true leader, however, will embrace this uncertainty and see it as an opportunity for change and growth. This is what Moses did; he marched back to Egypt and fulfilled his obligations to God and to the Israelites.
Slavery, no matter how awful, was preferable to the uncertainties of desert wandering towards a place they did not know. Moses had to change that perspective and convince over 600,000 Israelites to take a leap of faith.
Every journey begins with a single step. I am asking you to identify what that first step will be – and then take it. If it is a diet, then say no to that piece of cake. If it is a job promotion, list the reasons why you deserve it and then speak with your boss. If your goal is to reconcile with a family member, list the reasons for the estrangement and the steps that you are willing to take to reconcile – and then e-mail or call that family member.
Take a deep breath – and do it. If you fail, are you really any worse off than you are now? Isn’t losing no weight better than gaining more weight? Of course! Is remaining in your current job better than losing it? Definitely! Are you any worse off for trying to reconcile than you were before the attempt? Of course not. If anything, you should be proud of yourself for the attempt.
So even if we trip up and fall flat on our faces, we are no worse off than when we started. But if we succeed, as Moses did, then there are untold benefits that await us. Moses became the greatest leader the world has ever known; he freed hundreds of thousands from slavery! He became a teacher, a judge, and a lawgiver. His name is the most prominent name in all of Judaism – and critical for Christianity and Islam as well.
All this happened because Moses took that first step and said good-bye to Jethro. By changing his life, he was able to change history. As we change our lives and grow into effective servant-leaders, we too can change history. We do not know how that will happen, but it will happen. It might be hard to begin but begin we must; success beckons those who embark upon the journey.
Here are today’s Moses Principles:
- All beginnings are difficult.
- The future is uncertain.
- Embrace the uncertainty.
We are going to take a 2-week break from new episodes so that I can finalize the first edition of my e-book, Moses Is My Uncle: Lessons In Biblical Leadership, from which I have taken these last 10 podcast episodes. Once we start up again after Labor Day, we will focus our podcasts on the upcoming High Holidays of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
But wait, there’s more! After Labor Day, membership opportunities for Torah for Christians will become available through our website, www.torahforchristians.net. By joining, you will have the opportunity to be a part of private, members-only ZOOM calls where you will be able to ask me anything that interests you, discover special postings and, as a gift, download for at no cost a copy of my new e-book. As a member, you will also be able to get more, unannounced, goodies as we create them.
Please don’t forget, however, to catch up on my Substack columns, Wednesday Torah – which just restarted this past week – and Bible Stories They (Never) Taught You in Religious School, a commentary on the weekly Torah portion. You can even book me as a speaker.
I want to thank you for listening to Torah for Christians. If you enjoyed this podcast, tell your friends, and spread the word. You are the reason for our success. And whether you identify as a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim or even as a skeptic, we are all in this together. So please remember: Hinei Mah Tov… L’hitra’ot, till we meet again. I’m Rabbi Jordan Parr and this is Torah for Christians.
