Rev. Virgil Jones
By Rev. Virgil JonesPastor, Calvary Baptist Church
Scripture: Exodus 3
Previously on The Moses Mission from Exodus 3, we have learned that God desires fellowship, faith favor, fruitfulness and freedom for us. We have learned that Moses lived a preserved and privileged life until God gave him his purpose.
In his hideout in the desert, Moses discovered several things. Moses discovered the appearance, acknowledgment, articulation, answer, approach, activity and aftermath. God sent Moses on the mission to get His people out of bondage.
There was another Moses. Her name was Harriett Tubman. She was known also as Black Moses. She made nineteen trips along the Underground Railroad freeing as many as three hundred slaves.
I thank God for Harriet Tubman. This Black Moses was one who embraced her mission. Because of Black Moses, abolitionists stood up and spoke up. Had there been no Black Moses, I don't know where we would be.
Because there was a Black Moses, protestors protested and fighters fought. Because of Black Moses, other Moses' embraced their mission. Preachers preached, leaders led, standers stood, sitters sat, walkers walked, talkers talked, marchers marched.
When the other Moses' embraced their mission, the status quo was upended. As a consequence, bombers bombed, lynchers lynched, shooters shot, beaters beat, jailers jailed, marauders marauded, rapists raped, murderers murdered, slicers sliced. In spite of the dangers, the other Moses' forged ahead undaunted. They were willing to lose their lives that we would be free.
These other Moses' came in different sizes and colors. There were black people and white people, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, light-skinned and dark-skinned, press-n-curl, bob-n-weave, Jheri Curl, corn-row, page boy, afro, bowl cut, skin tight, all working together. These other Moses' overcame considerable odds to find success. In poor classrooms, we still learned. With torn books, we still studied. With inferior tools, we still worked and succeeded beyond anyone's imagination. We succeeded because we prayed together, stayed together, worked together and stuck together.
Now that we are free, I don't understand what we're doing. We don't pray, stay, work or stick together anymore. So many others are in bondage and it is as if we don't even care. We get ours, but refuse to help anyone else get his or hers. We have enslaved ourselves.
We spend more time in tattoo parlors, beauty salons, nail salons, casinos, buffet lines, clubs, bars and malls, but no time in school. We spend so much time Tweeting, Skyping, Face booking, My Spacing, blogging, Googling and texting, but no time studying. We drink, smoke, sex, dance and TV too much. I wonder where all the Moses' have gone. It is not as if God has stopped calling, it is because we have stopped answering.
All of our excuses are gone. We have had a Black American in every major office in America. We have presence in the Pentagon, CIA, FBI, Secret Service, Wall Street, Capitol Hill and even the White House. What bothers me the most is that we have come so far and still pull against one another.When I see Black elected officials talking bad about our Black president, it bothers me to no end. If anybody should be working and sticking together, we should. We have come a long way from slavery. I wonder where all the Moses' have gone. It is not as if God has stopped calling, it is because we have stopped answering.
Well, my brother and sister, you can do something about that. How about taking a bunch to a museum this week? How about taking a bunch to visit a college or university and get a tour of the campus? How about spending time tutoring or mentoring someone in need?
Pick up the mindset, "If it has to be, let it start with me." We need some new Moses' and my pick is you.