I love games that involve running around.
Not the highly structured games with lots or rules and referees like soccer, or football, or tennis. No, the games that I like are the more improvised ones like tag.
I grew up in a neighborhood with many children and we would play this game we called “kick the can”, the boundaries were roughly two blocks either way, about a quarter of a square mile. If you were tagged you had to go to prison and stay there until someone from your team ran up and kicked an old Hawaiian Punch can and then all the prisoners were set free.
It was like an explosion, all the prisoners would be poised, ready to run, a team member would come running up, usually pursued by several members of the opposing team, their foot would swing out, putting a new dent in the can as it flew into the air (look out don’t let the can hit you in you the head!) and children would run every which way screaming in joy, released from captivity, until we were captured again, only to be set free once more, and the day flew by like an avenging angel.
The only thing better than being chased, or set free, was kicking the can, it was pure elation to bruise the toe.
Get ready to run.
Your chance to escape is coming soon.
It won’t last long, don’t miss the chance, eat in a hurry, don’t even sit down, you will be chased, don’t hesitate, when God kicks the can, be ready to explode into action.
Get ready to run!
Moses standing before Pharaoh, “Let my people go!”
The refusal.
The ten plagues: water into blood, frogs, gnats, flies, sick livestock, boils, thunder and hail, locusts, darkness and the final one, the one that broke the hardened heart of Pharaoh: at midnight the Lord’s wrath is visited upon them, the death of every first born.
“Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his officials and all the Egyptians; and there was a loud cry in Egypt”.
The Hebrews escaped the visitation of death, the blood of the Passover lamb was on the door posts and lintels, the sign for death to Passover and strike elsewhere.
There was no time to think about what a horrible thing had just happened, grief had opened the door, Moses and the people of Israel were set free, get up and run before Pharaoh changes his mind. Go. Go. Go. GO!
Flee slavery, run to freedom, this isn’t a spectator sport, Pharaoh is after us.
The Passover.
The event, the escape, the meal, the festival, the liturgy, the abiding threat of slavery, the imposing grace always setting us free, don’t think too much about it, get ready, when the Lord opens the door… run!
(Break priest’s host)
“Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrifice for us!”
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