Series Introduction

Heroes of the faith, oh, we all know the likes of Abraham, Samuel, Isaiah, Paul… People appointed by God. People tasked with something BIG. People who faced him saying, “OK, here I am.” And through them God does something big. We’ve seen them memorialised in marble.
But in this series, let’s rehearse some faith stories of ‘the little people’. Because surely, you’ve wondered about them. The handicapped, the beggar, the bedridden, the carer, the housebound, the outsider, the refugee, the depressed, the spouse, the sibling, the prisoner, the prostitute, the infant, the child, the shift worker, the cleaner. And in looking at these people, we see that…it matters that you and I are here too.

Reflection: The Doula-Midwives

“In the beginning was the reason for living.” (John, 1:1 paraphrased)

Egypt, in Exodus 1, is a paint-by-numbers picture. Imagine overwhelming numbers of Hebrews and a power-hungry Egyptian king. It’s all about numbers and power. But, then again, maybe not. Nested in that crowded, violent, power-hungry story are some ‘little people’. Here, two females. Two midwives. We’re even told their names: Shiphrah and Puah. They’re likely two of many midwives servicing the community—on their knees with anguishing women and up to their armpits in ‘unclean’. But what’s outstanding about them, we’re told, is that they were God-fearing. With no moral dilemma, they faced off with Pharoah. Instead of saying ‘Yes’, to him they said ‘Yes’, to God. ‘Yes’, to the divine value of each birthed baby. ‘Yes’, to a divine reason for living.

It’s not too simplistic to say, Saying ‘Yes’, to God makes life worth living.

For that, Shiphrah and Puah, after all, were worth noting in God’s grand story of history.

And did you notice God’s kindness and delight? He blessed them for their obedience.

Saying ‘Yes’, to God reflects his glorious reputation. And that’s what life’s about.

Prayer:

Without being attentive to you, God, I can’t respond with a heartfelt ‘Yes’. So, calm me, alert to ways that, in the minutia of today, I might honour you. Like Shiphrah and Puah, I too, am nobly named by you. So, help me to respond to your rollcall with an enthusiastic ‘Yes’!

*In Greek, the word literally means ‘female servant’. Luke records Mary saying, “Behold, I am the doulē of the Lord.”