the world. I think of the United States of America with their nuclearpowered submarines and aircraft carriers that can traverse the globe with ease, or the rise of the Chinese government building new islands and reclaiming old ones in the South China Sea. I would like to say that the Western Church has progressed somewhat in that it frequently condemns the actions of governments and foreign militaries for their unwarranted expansion into the lands and seas of other sovereign peoples – but unfortunately, I cannot wholeheartedly do so. The Church, in my experience, puts little to no energy into fixing this destructive theology and fails to address the continuing actions that come about due to a message of imperial dominance. In fact, I would say that more energy from the Church goes into keeping this kind of thinking around because it gives them a valid, theological reason for their involvement in the atrocities that have happened to First Nations people the world over, not just Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. But what if this passage has been misunderstood or misinterpreted? What if the theology around this passage is wrong and it is not about showing off the power and dominion of God? What if it is about a loving God that hears the cries of his people who are in pain and suffering? What if it is about a God who will do anything to save His people even if that means moving back the waters of the ocean to expose the dry land and an escape route? Dry land that will lead the people to a place where they will no longer be in captivity under the strong hold of their oppressors but instead will be free to flourish and bear good fruit, planting the seeds for future generations? What if we looked at verses 9 through 13 as the Israelites praising God for the miraculous lifesaving miracle that He had performed? 34
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