Let my people go. I can imagine during this particular month those words could carry on a heightened sense of pride. By the way, they form the refrain of the old Negro spiritual, "Go Down Moses." I think it is unfortunate that I first came to know that song while seeing Will Smith and Carlton Banks (played by Alfonso Ribiero) sing it from a jail cell on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As African Americans, we don't mind hearing the phrase, "Let my people go," when it's referring to Pharaoh's relentless grip on the children of Israel or the slave masters' rule over our ancestors. We don't even mind hearing it when it applies to "the man" or "the system" we think is holding us down. Have we ever thought that those words could apply to us? If you're African American, you may say to yourself: "Well, I'm Black. I've never owned slaves, and I've never treated anyone that bad." If that's the case, you could be on your way to being one noble human being. Yet, are you having trouble releasing anyone? That's right - releasing. "Go Down Moses" depicts how God commanded Moses to demand the "release" of the Israelites from bondage by telling Pharaoh to "let my people go."

Although God doesn't change, we do. With change, moves and shifts come. Satan even tries to orchestrate changes in order to bring in his brand of chaos and confusion. Some people have left jobs, churches and organizations on account of rebellion. We often see the fruits of their works as they spread lies and try to take half the establishment with them. On the other hand, some people leave and move on out of divine purpose and a desire to fulfill their God-given destinies.

Whenever there's a move or shift, someone goes and someone remains. If you've ever been the one to remain or stay behind while someone dear to you moves on, I know it's no picnic. My late father was a founder and pastor of Bible way Fellowship Center (Leslie, GA). With that, I've witnessed people come and go as if the doorway itself was a revolving one. I have seen youth who were awesome, anointed and great assets to our church come and go. Was I hurt? Definitely. Did I miss them? Yes. Releasing them was a process, but it was necessary. I had to let them go in order to move on myself. I am talking about letting go because it is something that has  been on my heart for some time. I don't wish to downplay the difficulty experienced by mothers who send their children off to college or the military each year. I also know it isn't easy for people who must release loved ones and spouses due to breakup, divorce or death. However, it has troubled me when I see people, especially in the Body of Christ, who'd rather spend years belittling, berating and disrespecting others just because they've chosen to move on in life. At the end of the day, we're all individuals with free wills. Whether someone leaves out of rebellion or out of obedience to God, it is still a choice to be respected.