Blood and covenant
Jane Denniston
September 14, 2017
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Exodus 24: 1-8
1 Then he said to Moses, ‘Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship at a distance. 2 Moses alone shall come near the Lord; but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.’
3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, ‘All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.’ 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and set up twelve pillars, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 He sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed oxen as offerings of well-being to the Lord. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he dashed against the altar. 7 Then he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.’ 8 Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, ‘See the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.’
The TV series ‘The West Wing’ follows the lives of many of the employees of the White House who are necessary to maintain the government in the United States of America. The cast includes the President and the First Lady, his chief of staff and deputy chief of staff, communications director and deputy communications director and press secretary.
The president is an admirable man, a man of integrity, whose flaws are frustrating but not ultimately destructive. This sets the tone for the series which, although each episode centres around a crisis, paints a picture of an administration which is, at heart, egalitarian, compassionate, and concerned for the greater good rather than personal ambition.
Jed Bartlett displays a covenantal relationship with his presidential position. He takes the responsibilities of office seriously and rarely, if ever, presumes upon his power and privilege for personal reasons. He is a man of honour, and presides over a meritocracy.
Lord of the covenant
thank you for your love and care for us.
Thank you too, for people of integrity
who model your care for us.
Help us also to be people of integrity.
Help us to model to others
your love and care.
Thank you for those you have given us
whose surround us with love and support
who feed us when we are hungry
who comfort us when we are sad
who laugh with us when we are joyful!
Amen.
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