Longing for Change

With our theme this summer, we got to talk about some classic stories in the Bible, like Jonah and Esther, but we also got to explore some lesser known stories and see how people came before God with requests in other ways. The theme of this day was "longing for change". Many things come to mind when I think of the word “change”. The first and most obvious thing is coins, and having literal spare change. When I think of having spare change, in my mind I am transported to the steps of St. Paul where the old bird woman cries, pleading with people to give their spare change to feed these poor, helpless birds in Mary Poppins.

On the surface, this song appears to be about a caricature of a poor old woman begging for change. However, this song has a deeper lesson. This woman is reminding those that pass her by that the little change they have to spare can make a big difference to those in need. In the song, she refers to the British currency “tuppence”, which is basically two pence, which is close in value to two cents.

In our vernacular, we have a saying about “giving your two cents”. When people say this, it means that they will share their opinion to try and make a different point in a conversation. There is a story in the Bible where 5 sisters gave their two cents to make a difference. They brought it before God and asked for justice to be done, and it was granted, and by giving their two cents, they were able to give women opportunities and rights that had not been available to them prior to them speaking out. Their father had died of natural causes and he had no sons, therefore his inheritance would not be given to anyone, and his legacy would not live on in the nation of Israel. The daughters thought this was unfair, since he could not control the fact that he had no sons, and it was not right for him to be posthumously punished for that fact, and also not fair for the daughters to have nothing remaining of his father after he passed. Moses then prayed to God, and from that prayerful council, not only were the sisters granted their father’s inheritance, but an amendment was made to the Jewish law that if a father died without sons, that his daughters could inherit his worldly possessions.

Although in the grand scheme of things, this seems like a small story, that makes it all the more representative of what our two cents can do. This would be an easy story to gloss over and forget about. These sisters did not perform a miracle or part the seas. They used what they had - their voice - their two cents - to do what they felt was just.

It is just as important to celebrate these little victories as it is to celebrate the earth shattering miracles. This is a story of something we are all capable of doing in our daily lives. If you see something that appears to be unfair, speak up, take it to God in prayer., and God's will and God's justice will be done. So how can you use your two cents to make a positive difference in this world? Spend some time in prayer and see how God’s justice can be done in even the small battles of life.