When a new king arises in Egypt, he places himself in opposition to the Hebrews. Numerous as they are, foreign as they may be, he assumes they’re a threat. “And he said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and ruse from the ground” (Exodus 1:9-10). His reaction to change, to difference is fear.
In this, Pharaoh is not alone. Many of us react to the new with anxiety: “What did I do to bring this on?” “What could go wrong?” “What’s going to happen?” “What will I lose?” “Why are they out to get me?”What if we asked a different set of questions: “What do I know is true, what do I suspect is true, and what am I assuming is true about this change?” “In addition to the way I understand what’s happening, what else might be true—what other reality exists?” Is it possible, for example, that the growing Israelites could be allies or even friends?
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