by Barbara Cooper
"Decide today who you will serve."
After Moses' death, Joshua
became the leader of the Israelites. He led the people in the
conquest of Canaan and assigned the land to the different tribes.
Today's reading touches on the sacred pact at Shechem, which brought
the people together and created greater unity through the covenant
with Israel's God. (Comments to bcoop@animail.net)
Sometimes I forget that Israel did not live in a vacuum, but among
people of different beliefs and customs. They had to renew their
devotion and committment to their God over and over - just as we
have to. There were many options, and some of the gods of the
neighbouring peoples must have looked more attractive than theirs.
But it was Israel's God who brought them out of slavery in Egypt,
fed them in the desert, and brought them to a new land. And so the
people assembled at Shechem renewed their covenant with Yahweh,
remembering God's actions for them and choosing again to follow
God's Way.
We all make daily choices of who we will serve. The attraction of
"other gods" is before us in advertisements for more stuff to devote
ourselves to. We are expected to fall down in adoration and be
slaves to consumer capitalism. Sometimes it all seems so
overwhelming that "giving in and giving up" just seems the only way
to go. It's then that we need to cry out with Joshua: "As for me and
my household, we will serve the Lord."