2021.08.22 | Serving God
“Serving God”
Nadia Tavera
Eden United Church of Christ
Hayward, CA
August 22, 2021
Today’s scripture depicts maybe the last gathering of Joshua, Moses successor, with the tribes of Israel before his passing. The elders, heads, judges, and officers were called to be there as well.
After moving in the wilderness for about forty years, God gave them the land that was promised to their ancestors. Exodus describes the geographic location as an extended land from the Red sea to the Mediterranean sea and the desert to the river.
They were there, living their own “American dream” in the land flowing with milk and honey. Joshua remind to the Israelites where they came from, from the land of their ancestors who lived from the other side of the Euphrates River. Notice that they are immigrants in the promised land, they even fled Egypt looking for a more satisfying life.
The theologian Elsa Támez affirms that despite several generations of Israelites had already settled, they were always foreigners. The memory of being an immigrant will be the mark that will accompany them as a reminder of their relationship with the foreigners: " Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” (Ex. 22:21).
In the gathering, Joshua urges the Israelites to renew their covenant by serving God exclusively.
II
This scripture reminds me that rivers have historically been used to create borders; an example is the Rio Grande known also as Bravo River, which divides Mexico and the United States. Even if we don’t use the expression people from the other side anymore the concept the others is present even among people from the same race and language but with different nationalities. For example, this happens between people of Mexico and Guatemala.
The scholars Hopenhayn and Bello, analyze the denial of the other as a historical root of discrimination, based on race and ethnicity and they conclude that denying the others implies separation and hierarchization: the other racial or ethnic is judged as different, and at the same time as inferior in hierarchy, qualities, possibilities, and Rights.
The question is, what do the others have to do with my service to God?
In my case, many of you know that I come from an Evangelical tradition, where I learned that the main goal for Christians is to develop a personal relationship with God. Everything had to do with me and my holiness before God. Over the years, I realized that my relationship with God reflects on my relationship with others, especially with the others.
There’s a saying in the Talmud that states, "I looked for God, and I didn't find him, I looked for myself and I didn't find myself either, I looked for my neighbor, and I found all three."
My second question for all of us is, what does it mean to serve God in our context? I'm glad we don't have to fulfill the 613 commandments (Mitzvot) given to Moses. Jesus teaches us that the Law and the Prophets hang on two commandments, serve God and love your neighbor as yourself.
III
Since last year, Eden Church is serving God by serving many people affected by COVID19. These people are not the others anymore, now they are part of us. In the same way we're a multicultural team working together. In our team there are people like me that came from the other side of Rio Grande and beyond. For my colleagues and church members, I'm not the other anymore. Now I am part of the same body.
Since then, I am learning to acknowledge who the other is to me and find the ways to integrate them into my beautiful community.
Friends, God invites us to recognize we are equal in Jesus, despite race, ethnicity, gender, economic status, or academic studies.
Let’s serve God by serving the others in love and unity. Amen.