“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.'”

Exodus 14:13-14

 

Dear HBIC Family,

 

I woke up today thinking about how, years ago when we found out that Harper was on her way, we were so overjoyed. Looking back, I’m grateful that all of our anticipation never really morphed into full-on anxiety. We knew life would be changed forever and in so many different ways, but there’s a grace in how limited our knowledge was. We had God and each other. We had our God who was on our side and leading the way.

One challenge for us was coming up with a name for our baby girl. Shell had many ideas; most were really good. I however, come from a family and culture where names represented a chance to honor the past as you welcome the future. We love to choose ancestors or other meaningful people from the path to name our children after. Case in point: if you accompanied me to a family gathering and said “Hello, Daniel,” you may be referring to several different people in attendance.

 

After what seemed like a forever list of names, we chose Harper and we loved it. It just felt right for us. For some that knew me for years before, they thought it was a nod to one of my favorite musicians, Ben Harper. Others thought it was a nod to Harper Lee, the famous writer of To Kill a Mockingbird. A few even thought we were naming our girl after abolitionist, suffragist and poet Frances Harper. Sadly, we only learned about Frances after we had chosen the name.

 

The best news after we went public with Harper’s name was something else we didn’t know. We learned that my father was born and raised in Harper, Liberia – a small coastal town that has always been important in my country’s history. I had assumed my father was from Monrovia and I realized I didn’t know much about his childhood and upbringing. Getting to know where he was from has helped us to remember that past as we see some of our future in Harper’s eyes.

 

This week, as we continue our Remembrance sermon series, we will be joining Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea. After years of slavery in Egypt, the prayers of the people had been heard and God’s deliverance had begun. God was with them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Yet at the base of the river, and with Egyptians in pursuit, the people were filled with doubt. It was then that Moses assured them to stand firm for God’s deliverance was on the way; to be still, for our God fights for us.

 

To prepare for this week’s service, I would like to invite you to read and meditate on Exodus 14. To help you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions:

 

 

I have mostly lived in cities throughout my life. Monrovia, Freetown, Abidjan, Philadelphia and Harrisburg all help to tell my story. These cities also help me to remember where God has delivered and where God has saved me. In remembering where God has saved us, we hold on to the God who was and is and will be. In remembering where, we hold on to God’s call for our lives, God’s covenant and loyal love to us, and how God has always fought on our side.

 

Praise God who holds us now. Give thanks for God’s presence today. Remember where God has delivered you and how our God fights for us, forever and always.

 

God bless you all, and take care.