“‘If it is evil in your sight to be servants of the Holy One, then choose this very day whose servant you are: the servant of your ancestor’s gods who they served as dwelt on the other side of the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now dwell. But for me and for my house, we will be servants of the Holy One'” (Joshua 24.15).
Years ago, when we were house hunting, we came across this passage in several houses. In each place it declared that this home, this family serves the God of Love.
This passage caps the end of a speech where Joshua recounts the history of the Children of Israel up to that point, beginning with Abraham. This is a turning point for the people. The people who have been marked by wandering and searching have come to their Promised Land. This is an ending and a beginning, and the people are asked to chose the story this new chapter will tell.
Joshua’s words make the choice simple: serve the gods of old, serve the gods of the land, or serve the Holy One.
I have heard at least two discussions asking, perhaps, the most important question of this moment in our history. Were the events of Wednesday 6 January 2021 the ending or the beginning of something. This, they’re saying, is a turning point. It’s a moment to choose.
And in this moment, Joshua’s words have bubbled up to the surface, specifically that in such a moment the first thing he did was call the people to remember their history. Look back, he said, and examine the past with clear eyes.
Look back at a history that has too often wanted to see non-white, non-European people as less than human. Look back at how those people were enslaved, were forcibly marched out of their ancestral lands, were placed in camps or cages where they were sterilized and separated from their children.
And, then, choose. Choose the god you will serve.
Will it be the god who went before the crowd that broke into the Capitol, causing the death of five people, spreading terror? Will it be the god of this land that says health and a bursting bank account are marks of blessing? Will it be a god who demands loyalty, the sacrifice of others, and a denial of truth to satisfy their ego?
Or will it be the Holy One, who calls us to see the face of Jesus in every person we encounter? Will it be the One who is seen most clearly in weakness? Will it be Emmanuel who does not stand above us or leave us to walk alone but is with us every step of the way?
This is not a spiritual exercise for the new year. This is what every one of us who claims Jesus is the One must do. Because there are other gods, ready and willing to accept new followers. Their prophets speak from the halls of power and the pulpits of large congregations. Their servants believe they and those who look like them are the chosen.
It was not chance that we came upon Joshua’s words as we searched for a new home. That was an ending but also a beginning. We were choosing a place that we would make into a home: a place of refuge, welcome, and love.
As for me and my house, we have made our choice.