What is Love: A New Telling of an Old Story

I want to tell you a story, it's one filled with blood, snakes, and death, but also of life, hope, and love. No I'm not talking about some new movie or TV show that I'm watching. It's a story from a book, a very old book, one of the oldest books we still read to this day: the Bible. Now if you've read or heard this story before, don't give up on this post because I guarantee you haven't heard it like I'm going to tell it.

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far a... wait, wrong intro. A long time ago in Egypt, there was a baby born who was eventually named Moses. Unfortunately, he was not named by his birth mother because in order to save his life from the tyrant Pharaoh who was killing first-born sons (to stop the spread of the Hebrews), she placed our poor baby Moses in a basket and sent the basket down the river.

Now, you would think that a tiny little baby in a bread basket floating down a river might be in more danger than the alternative. But God protected the sweet little baby and the Pharaoh's daughter happened to see him floating by. She knew he was a Hebrew and what her father had been doing to them and felt sorry for him. So she took him as her own and named him Moses.

An adult now, after living as a prince in the court of the Pharaoh, Moses decided to see what his grandfather was up to. When he saw how the Egyptians treated his fellow Hebrews, he became enraged and killed a guard that was beating one of them. He thought he was in the clear, but it wasn't long before his secret sin was revealed. In the face of his wrathful grandfather, he fled his home and was brought into the house of a kind man far away from his people.

He got married to one of the man's daughters, had a kid, and became a shepherd for his father-in-law. Even though he didn't have the splendor of his old life, things were looking up for him. But one day while he was watching the sheep, they came to a place called the mountain of God, when all of a sudden a bush burst into flames.

So Moses was like, that's weird, it's on fire but not really burnin', I gotta go see this. So he walks closer to the bush and it starts calling out his name and he was like yeah, that's my name, don't wear it out. But the bush was like yo, take off your shoes bro, this is holy ground and I'm not really a bush, I'm God. So Moses got all scared and hid his face from the bush, like the bush would stop talking if he was hiding.

But the bush was like, dude I can still see you but whatevs, listen I got a job for you. Those Egyptian bustas keep hurting my people, the Hebrews, so I want you to go get 'em out of there. I got a nice new crib for 'em that I want you to bring 'em to.

So Moses was like, why me, man? I ain't nobody, they ain't gonna listen to me. And the bush was all like I'mma be with you, bro, it's all good. And Moses wouldn't shut up with his pity party so the bush got all mad and was like dude, you forgot already? I'm not really a bush, I'm God. You tell those suckas that I sent you, but don't tell 'em a bush sent you cause they gonna lock you up. Tell 'em God sent you, they gonna listen, don't worry bout it. But listen, the old Pharaoh is gone and the new one ain't much better, so you gotta show him some crazy stuff but he ain't gonna care, so show him some more and he'll listen or I'll make him listen.

And Moses was like, what kinda crazy stuff you talkin' bout? And the bush was like, dude take that stick and throw it on the ground. So Moses did it cause, you know, if a bush tells you to do something, you do it. But when the stick hit the ground it turned into a snake and Moses was all like What the Hell? And the bush was like, don't be a wimp, dude, pick it up. So Moses did it and it turned into a stick again.

Moses was like, that was cool, what else ya got? And the bush was like check this out, put your hand in your shirt and when Moses took it out his hand was all nasty and his skin was about to fall off. So the bush was like, okay, do it again, and his hand was back to normal. So Moses was like, that's gross but also hella cool. But you know man, I can't even talk right. I got a lisp and it's gonna be embarrassing cause the Hebrews are gonna be like who's this skinny dude who can't even talk right?

The bush was like, man you trippin', I'm not a bush, I'm God. How many times I gotta say it before it gets through your thick skull? I'mma tell you what to say and I like made your mouth, so just do what I said and take your bro Aaron with you cause he can talk real good. Now go away, I'm tired of lookin' at you.

So Moses went and did what the bush told him (you have to do what a bush tells you, remember?) and the Hebrews listened to him but the Pharaoh was just as much of a monster as the old one and worked the Hebrews harder to spite Moses and his God. So God did what He said He would and sent plagues to Egypt, even one that turned their drinking water to blood. But they didn't hurt the Hebrews, only the Egyptians. Finally, after God returned the favor of killing firstborn sons, one of which was the Pharaoh's son, the Pharaoh released the Hebrews.

So Moses and his people were all excited and left en masse to find the land that God had promised, but the Pharaoh went back on his word and chased them down with an army. So Moses was like, hey bush, they chasing us, what do I do?

And God was like, I'm not a bush, dummy, just put your stick in that big ole sea over there and watch what happens. So Moses did it and the sea parted like a pair of curtains and Moses was all shocked and God was like, don't just stand there with your jaw on the floor, run. This dude is annoying as Hell.

So Moses and his people ran through the sea and got to the other side just as the whole of Pharaoh's army was in between the walls of water and God was like, dude, check this out, and the water crashed back down, drowning the army.

Cool story right? There's actually a lot more to it, but even though the telling was a little crazy, I wanted to explain why I chose this story. It's because God used a man who was an outcast from his family, a pariah to his own people, and disabled in his speech to change the lives of thousands of people. Even though Moses didn't think he was good enough to be God's mouthpiece, God knew that he was.

This story shows that God can use anybody to make a difference, He can even use a bush to do it. In fact, Jesus Himself said, to the Pharisees who were yelling at His disciples for praising him, "'...I tell you, if these stop speaking, the stones will cry out,'" (Luke 19:40, NASB).

If you have ever thought that you weren't good enough to be used by God, you're wrong. God believes in you, and if the creator of the heavens and the earth believes in you, why can't you believe in yourself? Are you saying that you know more than God? I'm fairly certain that's not true and I could tell you story after story about God using the weakest people to do the greatest things. Even in my own life, I have seen it; God using me to help people even when I'm at my lowest of lows.

And look, I've been there too, not believing in myself, feeling inadequate, feeling scared to try, I have felt everything that Moses felt. But God showed me that to not trust in myself when He had faith in me was a lack of faith in Him and I don't know about you, but I don't want to be accused of that ever again.

But you also don't have to part the Red Sea or turn a rod into a snake to be used by God. A simple smile at a stranger despite your personal frustration is enough to change a life. I can't tell you how many times I have just been really nice to a fast food worker or a cashier and their face just lights up. The world is full of mean, angry, selfish people but you don't have to be one of them. Just by doing the simplest of kind acts and a little bit of love for your fellow man, you too can show the world who God really is.