“Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Exodus 17:6 (NRSV)
I have to admit, I’ve always been rather sympathetic to the Israelites in this story. They’ve endured slavery in Egypt, escaped by the skin of their teeth in an effort that required literal miracles, and now they’re in the middle of the desert — not a place well-known for survivability without an abundance of preparation. Moses can be forgiven for his frustration, too, but it’s hard for me to see his rejoinder seriously: “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” (v. 2)
Moses doesn’t seem to be taking the Israelites’ trauma and their current situation seriously. Water seems a more than reasonable request on their part.
The demands for abolition should be as simple and reasonable as asking for water in the desert. When Black Americans are incarcerated at 5 times the rates of White Americans, it’s a reasonable thing to question the legitimacy and existence of the system. When the prison population has increased from 500,000 to 2,200,000 from 1980 to 2015 (far outpacing population growth and crime), it’s reasonable to question the system that’s locking people up. When we’re increasing the spending on prisons and jails at triple the rate as K-12 public education, it’s more than reasonable to object.
It’s important for pastors to normalize asking these questions of our society and government from the pulpit. Consider this story from the Israelites’ perspective this week. Ask questions that seem provocative but are actually just as reasonable as asking for water in the desert. We’ve become accustomed to the evil all around us, and it sometimes falls to you to ask the questions no one else in your faith community is raising.
Don’t be afraid to ask for water.
Wesley Spears-Newsome (he/him/his) is a writer and Baptist pastor in North Carolina.