Midwives

One of the lectionary readings for this week is Exodus 1:8-2:10. It's the story of the birth of Moses and his protection from Pharaoh's plans to kill the sons born to the Egyptians. Pharaoh has granted the order to allow girl babies to live but boy babies to be killed. There are two midwives who refuse to comply. They risk themselves because they believed in God.

Think about what they risked. Surely a Pharaoh who would order the death of children would offer no mercy to someone who defied him. They risked that he would find out, and he did discover their defiance.

I was reading RevGalBlogPals this evening. The writer of the post asks, "Are we called to be midwives?" Are we called to stand against what we know to be wrong? I find it interesting that while the midwives did defy the Pharaoh, they didn't stand up against his horrible orders. Perhaps they knew that their own tiny voices would make no difference in what he was doing. They allowed their actions to show their faith in God. They saved children by what they did, not by what they said.

Are we called to be midwives?

I think that there are times when God calls us to speak up against evil. I think also, though, that there are times when we are called to be realistic and to work against evil in ways that will be most effective. In the case of the midwives, that meant not speaking out against the Pharaoh's orders, but quietly defying him. Children were saved, including Moses. Otherwise, no children might have been saved.

Are we called to be midwives?