“But as the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased and multiplied  until another king who had not known Joseph ruled over Egypt Acts 7: 17-18

Until another king who didn’t know about Joseph came and ruled over Egypt.  In genesis 17 God had promised Abraham to make great nations and kings of his descendants. Everything it seemed was on track until there was a new pharaoh who did not care to honour the history of Egypt.  It didn’t matter to him that in a former generation Joseph had saved Egypt from famine. Egyptian politics had changed. This pharaoh was not in favour of immigrants.  They should not have the same benefits or status as Egyptians. 

There are many questions swirling around.  Aren’t persons born in Egypt, Egyptians even though they are of the Hebrew faith or lineage? Shouldn’t they have the same benefits? Had the Jews also forgot God’s promise to Abraham for them to prosper in the land God had given Abraham? In their complacency of the good life in Egypt had they forgotten their land was not Egypt?

What was the status of the Hebrews that they could so easily be mistreated by this new pharaoh? Didn’t they have any influence in Egypt?  

We cant answer these questions in this devotional, but It seems to me, that what was happening in Egypt is similar to what is happening in the United States where Suddenly the US has awakened and found out that Nonwhites as a group were fast becoming the majority. In Egypt it seems the jews were already the majority. In both situations the immigrant population had no power.  Right here in the Caribbean this same thing happens. In the Dominican Republic, persons of Haitian heritage born in the Dominican Republic have no status.  They are not regarded as citizens and I am not speaking about new migrants fleeing violence in Haiti, but persons born in the Dominican Republic of Haitian heritage. 

It seems we never learn. There always has to be a hierarchy. Some more worthy than others. Even in our Churches we bring this kind of attitude to bear.  It is not the attitude that Jesus exemplified.  Life is not about our station, but living justly in loving-kindness, mercy and humility as Micah 6:8 says.  Everything else will fall into place.   Benefits are scarce because some of us hold unto more than we can use and are not willing to share.  We become the pharaoh who didn’t know Joseph.

All life is of equal status and all of us should be treated as worthy of living to our full potential. All of us should have access to the same benefits. God designed the world so the fittest survives in each generation, in each tribulation. The fittest is not necessarily the person with the most power.  We just choose to worship power as we all fan our egos.

For the world to be better, for our lives to be better, for our communities and nations to be better, we have to wheel and come again. We have to remember we are dependent on each other and we are all connected In one way or another and we must strive to live lives enriching that interdependence and connectivity. May God in God’s wisdom show us how Amen.