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The Other Half The Other Half
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This year the service for the Women’s World Day of Prayer was prepared by the Christian Women of Papua New Guinea. It is an annual service that I try to attend as it is always challenging, refreshing, truly ecumenical and during it I feel part of the Christian family all over the world. One of the scriptures chosen this year was Exodus 2: 1-10, the story of Moses being rescued from the river. A very familiar story for us all but I was challenged by a new (for me) slant. The Pharaoh’s dictum that all Jewish boys should be killed at birth was thwarted by the co-operation of women – the two midwives, Moses’ mother, sister and Pharaoh’s daughter. Each one had their part to play in saving Moses. As the ladies of Papua New Guinea phrased it – “The story of Exodus begins with the intervention of women from different nationalities, languages, faith traditions, classes, both from the oppressed and the ruling oppressor.” There was power in the collaboration – people who on their own had no real power to change their society or their lives, were so effective that the history of the Jewish nation (and hence the world) was changed. God was with them – who could be against? And that must speak into our own feelings of failings and inadequacy. It is hard to imagine how we can change anything in our present society which seems intent on destroying lots of what we hold dear. But by working together, across the divides of denomination, gender, age, tradition and race, we too will discover that things CAN be changed for the Glory of God. We too will be able to stand against poverty and injustice, against all those things which are not true to God’s Word. As Lord Alton often says – “ A few small stones can start a landslide.” At the end of the service we always sing that well-known hymn “The day Thou gavest, Lord, has ended” and I loved that feeling of continuity when we sang “Thy church unsleeping ….. through all the world her watch is keeping”. The fourth verse also reminds me that our God is known and loved all over the world – together we worship and glorify Him. “The sun that bids us rest, is waking Our friends beneath the western sky. And hour by hour fresh lips are making Your wondrous doings heard on high.” Real relationship – real togetherness. Let’s start a global landslide!
Sue Whitehead
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