The other day, one of our pastors mentioned Moses during his sermon.

Not Moses from the Bible, but Moses from the street corner on Dickson at the University of Arkansas.

Moses was a “fire and brimstone” street “prophet” who specifically badmouthed women for wearing clothes he didn’t deem appropriate.

Our pastor recounted during his freshman year how he prayed over Moses, extending his hand and asking God to make him deaf and dumb.

And I mentally recounted how at 2 a.m. one evening, stumbling down along Dickson from the last bar of the night, I also intended to make Moses deaf and dumb but not through prayer.

Fortunately, Matt was there to hold me back.

Sartre famously said hell is other people, which I used to wholeheartedly ascribe to.

Until of course, I realized, I was “other people” to other people.

I believe differently now, how we have the power of good (or evil) through our words, words that can be gifts from God or rain judgment on others.

I think about Moses now and actually found myself praying for him during our pastor’s sermon.

I no longer want to make him deaf or dumb, just mindful of the power he could have actually wielded if he would have pointed all of us to the Good News of Jesus instead of the bad news of his tainted heart.

Oh well.