Sunday Service - Jethro's Wisdom - William Haines

Good morning everyone. It's nice to see you all. I haven't seen a lot of you for a long time. I don't know why I'm standing here honestly; it's so difficult to give a sermon because I never know what I'm going to say. Sometimes I'll prepare the sermon in advance, and when I stand up, I can't say what I was going to say, and just another sermon appears out of nowhere. It's difficult sometimes to know what to say. In the past, it was much easier. Everything was much clearer. We looked to the way that God's providence was unfolding in our movement. Twenty, thirty, forty years ago, it was very obvious where God was working and where Satan was working. Now, things seem to be a lot less clear, and the state of our movement itself seems to be a lot less clear than it was all those years ago. There are lots of confusing things going on and lots of weird theology appearing from different places.

How does one deal with all this? How does one keep one's faith in that sense? How does one process all the rubbish that goes on? Sometimes people just put their heads in the sand and say they don't want to know. Sometimes people say you shouldn't ask questions like that. Well, that's not me; I'm always asking questions, and I'm always reading all the rubbish that appears because I want to know what's going on. I have to read it all, process it, think about it, try to make sense of it, and discern for myself what is happening and where one should go. Anyway, I'm supposed to be talking about Jethro's wisdom, and he was certainly a lot wiser than me.

By the way, yesterday was October the 4th. From a religious point of view, what was it? That's right, it was Yom Kippur. And what's October the 4th in our calendar? My birthday! Thank you, and happy many returns of the day. Anything else? What happened on October the 4th in 1976? I'm sure David remembers. No, wasn't that the day God's eternal blessing was declared after the Washington Monument? Anyway, lots of days happening, lots of events taking place, and all these things are things that happened in the past, sometimes thousands of years ago. So what happened at Yom Kippur? What was Yom Kippur celebrating? Well, when Moses led the people out of Egypt, God said to them, 'You shall keep my commandments, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your soul, with all your strength, and all your heart, and you shall teach your children about all the wonderful things that I have done.'

When God led the Hebrews out of Egypt, He gave them just two commandments: love God and teach your children. That's why Jewish people still exist today; they love God and they teach their children, passing on the tradition through the generations. Judaism is an unusual religion because it's based upon the family, not the synagogue or a priesthood. Everything is passed on through the family. When they arrived at Mount Sinai, God gave them a more formal set of commandments. Does anyone remember what the first one was? Nope? The first commandment is, 'You shall have no other gods before me.' What was the second commandment? Remember the first one is more important than the second. The second one was, 'You shall not make any graven image.' They agreed not to have any gods before God and not to make any idols. Meanwhile, Moses went up the mountain to get these laws inscribed in stone.

While he was up there, what happened down below? That's right, they had a party. They all went wild, and what else did they do? That's right, they made a golden calf, and Aaron proclaimed that these were the gods that led them out of Egypt. When God heard this, do you think He was happy about what was happening? The punishment for breaking those commandments was supposed to be death. God said to Moses, 'Go down from the mountain because your people, whom you brought out of Egypt, have ruined themselves. They've quickly turned away from the things I commanded them to do. They've made for themselves a calf covered with gold and have worshipped it, offering sacrifices to it, saying,

Israel, these are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.

Alone in her house, she tried to move to England, but whenever she went around the village where we live, nobody recognised her. Nobody noticed her, and she always felt very alone. In South Africa, however, whenever she went to the shopping centre or anywhere, there were people who recognised her. When you're recognised, you feel like you exist; if nobody acknowledges you, it's almost as if you don't exist, which can lead to profound loneliness. Jethro then said it was not good for her to be alone; she and the people with her would wear themselves out. The burden was too heavy for her to bear alone. My wife's second favourite word is 'together', and that is really important. Many mistakes in the Bible were made when people acted alone.

For example, consider the story of Isaac and Rebecca. Isaac wanted to bless his sons, Jacob and Esau, but he planned to do it by himself. He told Esau he would give him the blessing first, but Rebecca overheard this. They had not communicated properly; they hadn't woken up in the morning, prayed together, or discussed their plans for the day. If Isaac and Rebecca had blessed their children together, everything would have gone smoothly. Instead, Isaac kept his plans to himself, leading to confusion and serious consequences. It is crucial to do things together, especially as a husband and wife.

Listen to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you. You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him. You shall teach the statutes and the decisions, making them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Moreover, choose able men from all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate a bribe. Place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. So, how many group leaders were there? Out of a thousand, there were 131 leaders. This means that about one in eight of the Jewish people had a leadership role, and all of them had responsibilities. Jethro suggested to Moses that he delegate tasks so many people could participate in the decision-making process.

Among a group of ten people, one would act as the group leader or facilitator. If there was an argument, this leader would act as a judge. It was essential that this person was trustworthy, as the group needed to decide who they could trust the most. If the leader was unsure about a decision, they could consult the person in charge of the fifties, and if they couldn't resolve it, they would go to the person in charge of the hundreds, and so on. This system allowed for consistent decision-making and justice throughout the community. It was not a one-man band; had Moses tried to do everything himself, he would have become completely worn out.

In our own movement, leadership has often been a one-man band, with one person expected to do everything. This leads to burnout, and often, when asking for volunteers to take on leadership roles, the absence of hands is noticeable. Jethro advised Moses to focus on the important matters and make significant announcements, allowing everyone to participate in the community. Being responsible means having the opportunity to respond, make choices, and decisions. One out of eight people had the chance to be involved in running the community, ensuring that it was not just one person making all the decisions.

When the Hebrews came out of Egypt, who did all the hard work? God performed extraordinary miracles. Moses merely stretched out his stick, and the Red Sea parted. The people were in a state of dependency, much like children. In such a state, people often become irresponsible, expecting others to solve their problems. As the Hebrews left Egypt, they complained about food and water, expecting God to continue providing for them. Their attitude stemmed from years of slavery, where obedience was the highest virtue. In contrast, God's providence began not from obedience but from disobedience, as seen with the midwives who defied Pharaoh's orders.

As the Hebrews faced the Amalekites, Moses instructed Joshua to lead the fight while he sat on a hill, stretching out his arms. When Moses' arms were propped up, the people gained courage and fought valiantly. This was the first time the Hebrews took responsibility for their own battle; God did not fight for them. The lesson here is that if you look up to God and your heart is lifted, you can fight and win. The size of the army does not determine the outcome of a battle; a small group with hope and determination can defeat a larger force. This is why God commanded that a census should not be taken among the people; He wanted them to see themselves as a holy nation and a kingdom of priests, capable of making a difference.

As time went on, God gradually withdrew from performing miracles, bringing prophets to provide guidance. However, after 400 years before the birth of Jesus, no more prophets came. From a Jewish perspective, this was because God had revealed everything necessary, and now it was the people's responsibility to put it into practice. There is a famous rabbinic story about a debate among rabbis over a biblical verse. One rabbi, Rabbi Eliza, argued for his interpretation, while the others disagreed. He called upon a tree to prove his point, and when the tree moved, the others dismissed it. They then called upon the walls to testify, and when the walls shook, they also dismissed that. Finally, they invited God to intervene, but God affirmed that they were all right and that Rabbi Eliza was wrong. Rabbi Eliza insisted that God should not intervene, as they were responsible for working it out themselves. God laughed, pleased that His children were engaging and taking responsibility for their decisions.

People often argue with God, expressing their disagreement with the circumstances of life, particularly in times of suffering. A poignant example of this is found in the Holocaust, where some Jewish individuals metaphorically put God on trial, declaring Him guilty for allowing such atrocities to occur. Despite their grievances, they walked to their deaths singing praises, illustrating the complex relationship between humanity and the divine. God remains a reality, even when people feel compelled to withdraw from faith due to their discontent with the world. However, rather than abandoning their beliefs, many choose to engage in the struggle for justice, much like Abraham did.

Abraham's story from the Midrash is particularly illuminating. After leaving Haran, he encountered a burning palace and was perplexed as to why no one was attempting to extinguish the flames. This moment led him to realise that while the world is filled with beauty, it is also rife with evil and injustice. Abraham understood that he could not simply accept the state of the world as it was; instead, he took it upon himself to act against the wrongs he witnessed. This proactive stance is what inspired movements throughout history that sought to address societal injustices, refusing to accept the status quo as divinely ordained.

The Unification Church embodies this spirit of engagement. Many individuals have left due to their dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs, which is unfortunate. It is essential to recognise that while some believe the world is as it should be, others see the need for change. Both perspectives can be limiting. The true approach, as exemplified by Abraham, is to acknowledge the reality of God and the existence of evil, and to commit oneself to making the world a better place.

As a spiritual community, we are brought together by God from various parts of the world, with the purpose of fostering growth and improvement. While we cherish the friendships and family bonds we have formed, we must also confront the realities that are not as they should be. It is our responsibility to engage in efforts that promote positive change within our community, ensuring that it flourishes and thrives. We must strive to elevate our spiritual community to a level where it can serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration.

In our prayers, we express gratitude for the opportunity to gather and for the friendships we share. We acknowledge the legacy of our forefathers, like Moses, who wrestled with God to achieve righteousness. We aspire to embody that same spirit of wrestling with our beliefs and with each other, motivated by love and a desire to improve ourselves and our communities. By doing so, we can become sources of light in a world that often feels dark and challenging.

As we prepare for our offering, we come before our Heavenly Parent with humility, seeking to contribute to the community and the greater good. We pray that our donations can be used to further God's will and to enact positive change in the world. We hope to be a community that shares its blessings and leads lives that uplift those around us, whether in our workplaces or hometowns. May we be filled with love as we venture into the world, embodying the change we wish to see.