An article written by my father, the Rev. C. Thomas Paige, as it appeared in the Tri-State Defender on the date shown.
“I am the Lord thy God who has brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage.” –Exodus 20:2
Have you ever seen a total wreck? Have you ever seen a person who has lost all desire to go on? If you so walk that you project a sense of strength and security to those with whom you come in contact, one day you will see a total wreck.
The old hymn writer looked out into the distance years ago and saw the cross “towering o’er the wrecks of time.” For some unknown reason, they have come almost to the end of the journey. Suddenly, all reason to keep going vanishes and they stand with their hands folded, unable to explain the things about them.
I constantly come in contact with such people but lately I ran into a case that I will remember for a long time. The sun of his intellectual sky had gone, the sun of his economic sky was a long way off, the dreams of a happy martial life were on the brink of collapsing, the God whom he had served for years now seemed a far distance away. Life had become a needless existence. All reason for going on had suddenly left. Now in despair, this person saw suicide as the only way out.
NOT ISOLATED CASE
This is not something that happened in an isolated case. This is something that will, sooner or later, happen to all of us. Added to all of the darkness of this episode, someone in whom you have the greatest confidence comes up and tells you, “I don’t see why you would want that, anyhow. I would never punish myself in pursuit of something like that.” This only deepens the darkness already surrounding you and adds to an already confused mind.
It was in this state that one came to me a few days ago. I listened to his story then told a portion of mine. Time and time again his face lightened up. He thought that God was punishing him for something that he had done, but when he found out that clouds were in the skies of other people. he took up his cross and went on his way, rejoicing. It was at this point that each of us needs a story. We need something that we can tell people that will strengthen them as they go along “the heavenly way.”
Not only is this true of many of us as individuals but also as groups. Years ago, God had to reaffirm Himself to a people very much like us that He was their Lord who had brought them out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage. Daily, many of us live in our land of Egypt – or slavery – and in our houses of bondage. We need to know that there is someone outside of ourselves who will come to our aid. In the very darkness of the hour, God speaks to the Israelites, telling them He was still with them.
WHAT DO WE WANT?
Life offers most of us nothing short of frustrations. Many times, the things we want most are held furthest from us. Moses wanted to lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land but was only allowed to look. Men throughout history have wanted to do this or that but when success seemed almost assured, the inevitable happens and they are never allowed to realize their dreams. But amidst all of the confusion of having not attained, God speaks to them and tells them in no uncertain terms when you were in Egypt, I was with you, when you were in the house of bondage, I was with you.
Many times worries are baseless and unfounded. The apprehensions we have many times are unwarranted. We stand on the very threshold of our self-appointed failure and give ourselves up to our fate only to remember that somewhere in the distance stands a God keeping watch over His own. This person came to me crying because of his plight. He stood in his own mind like the prophet of old: he was the only person doing right and everyone else was getting a better break in life than he. Unless an answer could come – and come soon – he was going down and jump off the bridge.
This is not some isolated case – this is something that happens to each of us daily. Our lives are so designed that there are rivers to be crossed, mountains to be climbed, friends that will desert you, foes that will haunt you, tears that will stain you, ordeals that will crack and break your very hearts, and temptations that will try you. But amidst all of this, you must reach within and find moral fortitude and be able to withstand all of these that confront you each day.
In the midst of all that confronts us daily, we must once again attune our ears to the voice of God and hear Him say, “I am the Lord, thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage.” Many of us will never go to the real Egypt but we will have Egyptian experiences right where we are. Today we are in our houses of bondage – bondage of sin, appetite, greed and so forth. God extends to each of us an opportunity to realize that He is sufficient for every moment of our lives.
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VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 