Exodus 12: 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.
This is the night of Passover. The Egyptians didn't let the Israelites go, even after all the plagues, but the death of every first-born son got their attention. The loud wailing is an image I can picture, with every household in grief for the loved one lost.
What a disaster. I imagine September 11, or Pearl Harbor day, but the wailing was not for someone in each family. I think of the Holocaust, with the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz coming in a few days. That's closer to the devastating scene of the Passover slaughter. It was going to take a big shock for the Egyptians to free their slaves, and Passover was the event to get them going.
Prayer: I grieve for the mothers who have lost their sons. I pray for people who don't listen to You and who suffer as a result. I feel for my fellow man, even those who reject Your will. Comfort us, O Lord, even when we don't deserve it.
Amen
Same verse chosen in 2016. The suffering of the grieving parents is a compelling image.
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