Charles van Heck's Woodhull Journal

“A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:9).

What are my obligations in these times of the emergence of a dictatorship, political discord, and economic chaos? I am merely one voice in a chorus of voices. There are moments when I think writing these blogs is a waste of time. I could be in my studio painting or giving attention to another writing project. I am one voice in a chorus of voices. Does my voice matter? Does your voice matter?

Charlie Angus reminded me of the importance of being one voice in a chorus of voices. Angus is a member of the Canadian New Democratic Party. He retired recently from politics but is active in The Resistance movement in Canada. This morning, he published a blog on Substack titled “Confronting the Contagion of Cowardice: On Bonhoeffer and Vimy.” In his piece, he quotes Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.” 

Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and anti-Nazi dissident, was executed by the Nazis 80 years ago today, April 9, 1945. In his book Ethics, Bonhoeffer urges the reader to consider the responsible life. “Responsibility for oneself is in truth responsibility with respect to the man, and that means responsibility to mankind.” He states responsibility as “fundamentally a matter of deputyship is demonstrated most clearly in those circumstances in which a man is directly obliged to act in the place of other men, for example as a father, as a statesman or as a teacher . . . . The father acts for the children, working for them, caring for them, interceding, fighting and suffering for them. Thus, in a real sense, he is their deputy. He is not an isolated individual, but he combines in himself the selves of a number of human beings.”

The responsible life, the life of deputyship, is based on values expressed in actions. For Bonhoeffer, those values were shaped by his Christian faith, which extends deputyship not only in our human interactions but also towards things (e.g., the environment), the circumstances and context of the human experience (e.g., suffering), and values. To live the responsible life, deputyship requires self-examination and action.

In a few days, Jews will celebrate Pesach (Passover) as the Bible commands, “That you may remember the day of your going out from Egypt all the days of your life” (Passover Haggadah, New Revised edition by Rabbi Nathan Goldberg, KTAV; 10). The Seder liturgy (ritualistic meal) is a time to celebrate and reflect on divine redemption, God’s unconditional love for all of humanity, and Jewish freedom. Memory is active rather than passive because it guides us toward the future. The week-long celebration of the Pesach holiday is a timeless link from the Sinai moment when God intervened in human history to the present time: “We ourselves went forth from Egypt.”

A critical moment, which is easily overlooked, in Moses’ life precedes the miracles and departure from Egypt. The moment takes place in Exodus chapter three. Moses is attending sheep on Mount Horeb. He notices a burning bush. Our attention, like his, is drawn to the fire. A voice calls out Moses’ name from the heart of the fire. In response, Moses says, “Here I am” (Exodus 3:4). The dialogue between God and Moses begins with the words, “Here I am.” The silence between God and humanity is shattered. This is a transformative moment in Jewish and Christian history, and one could argue, human history. The Divine reveals an awareness of the human condition and our suffering. At first, Moses argues against taking responsibility for acting, but then relents (Exodus 4:1-18). Moses steps forward to assume, in Bonhoeffer’s words, deputyship.

Moses’s voice becomes one in a chorus that carries through to the prophets and, for Christians, the gospels.

Eight days after Passover, Christians will gather to celebrate Easter. The Easter liturgy, regardless of the denomination, is based upon seder liturgy⸺ the proclamation of the gospel (the reading of Torah in a synagogue service), the breaking of bread, and the sharing of the cup. Bonhoeffer reminds us, “without the Temple there would be no Church.” For all their theological differences, both traditions celebrate and reflect on divine redemption, God’s unconditional love for all of humanity. Memory is the cornerstone of both faith traditions.

But memory is one aspect of deputyship and tikkun olam (Hebrew for repairing the world). Tikkun olam is a guiding principle of Jewish ethics. We repair the world through tzedakah ( Hebrew for charitable giving) and gemilut hasadim (Hebrew for acts of kindness). We act for the sake of the betterment of society (mipnei tikkun ha-olam).

A new pharaoh has arisen. His actions and words deride our values and institutions. The only thing that matters to him is his own greatness. Ours is a time of disaster and dismay. How should we respond? Do we suppress our dismay? Do we take deliverance for granted? Do we accept the disaster? Do we remain silent in the face of evil? Or do we say, “Here I am,” let our voice join the chorus and act even when we are plagued by doubt?