“Let My People Go!” is a famous line. It has become a part of African America spiritual since it is a line from (and alternate name of) the spiritual “Go Down Moses.” It is a type of lyric, which uses Biblical imagery that expressed the struggle for a release from slavery to freedom. “Go Down Moses” is referred to as a Negro folk song, which had been composed by a community rather than an individual. At that time, the community of African American slaves lived in the South prior to the Civil War. “Go Down Moses” was a popular slave song that was sung by slaves while working and praying throughout the South. Today, the song, “Go Down, Moses” has become even a Christian Gospel song that is sung by gospel singers throughout the world.
Originally, it is a phrase, which was a message that God told to Moses and his older brother, Aaron to tell to Pharaoh (Ex 5:1). Moses was called to lead the Jews in slavery in Egypt from their exile back to freedom in the “Promised Land.” Reluctantly, Moses headed for Egypt with his wife and two children. In Egypt, Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.’ According to some Biblical commentators, Moses confronted Pharaoh with his brother when he was 80 years old.
The life of Moses is very inspirational for us during the Season of Advent. He was a leader who gave up the luxurious life of an Egyptian prince to free the enslaved people of God. Thus his life has many similarities for the coming of the Son of God to redeem us. Then, the letter to the Hebrews presents Moses as a man of hope as it stated that Moses lived expectantly looking ahead to what God would do throughout his life (Heb. 11:24-27). He is a great model for us to follow this Season of Advent expectantly. As we know this liturgical season is the period before Christmas that leads us to the joy of the Incarnation of Jesus. Advent is a season of waiting patiently and hopefully longing for what is to come. For Christians, the entire Hebrew Bible is a preparation for the coming of the Messiah who will save the world.
Again, the Season of Advent paves the way for Christians to prepare for His second coming. The last words found in the Bible in the Book of Revelation ends with an invitation for us to come to Jesus and for Him to come again: “Maranatha: Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20). The book of Revelation, which is the last document of the whole Christian Bible, was written to Christians in the province of Asia to give them hope and courage in the face of persecution. Even so, our world today, is filled with terror of all kinds; Suicide bombers, anthrax, radioactive bombs, kidnappings, gangs, rapes, murders, and wars. In Many ways, the inhumanity of human beings to one another is growing worse. Hence, many of the good things in the world, we also live amidst uncertainty and confusion, and in some cases, despair. Some people and secularists may see little hope for the future. They may feel this way may be because they do not know the One who can bring human history to a meaningful consummation.
We always hear in this season of Advent that it is a time of ‘patient waiting’ and looking ahead in expectant hope. Why? It is because, we need a savior. For some who may not affiliate to any religion may still need a higher power to be in the process of recovering. Simply surviving and operating on just our own efforts and powers is not working. We may find ourselves simply sinking into deeper and deeper isolation. The hope of believers is the hope of the people of Israel, which has already been accomplished in Jesus our Lord.
God is offering us in His Son, Jesus the abundant life. Advent calls us to take a break from the fast pace of our real-world holiday preparation and enter a sacred space of joyful anticipation of the coming of our Lord at Christmas. Let us make this holy season something unique to us. Paul Tillich once stated: “Our time is a time of waiting, waiting is its special destiny. And every time is a time of waiting, waiting for the breaking in of eternity. All time runs forward. All time, both history and in personal life, is expectation. Time itself is waiting, waiting not for another time, but that which is eternal….”
— Fr. Niranjan Rodrigo, Ph.D
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