Elijah had had a rough time of it. He had confronted the corrupt King Ahab with his murderous deeds. In retaliation, Ahab had chased Elijah into the wilderness, assuming that he would die of starvation and the heat. Elijah had almost succumbed, but through the kindness of a foreigner had survived. Elijah was burned out and exhausted, and he set out to be alone where he would not be bothered or threatened, and where he could recharge his spiritual batteries. He huffed and puffed to himself as he sat alone in his small cave. God deserved to treat his genuine prophets a little better. Elijah could not help but vent his frustration against the Lord and hope God would listen and heed his advice about better treatment for genuine prophets.
Elijah expected God to appear in all the assumed places as in the overpowering winds of a tornado, terrifying shaking of an earthquake or in the blinding fire of lightening. But Elijah did not find God in the wind, the quake or fire. Elijah pleaded, even demanded, “God show yourself!” Elijah waited; nothing. Then, after a space, (and we purposely are not given a precise measurement), the word of God came to Elijah in a small, quiet voice. Elijah was all primed to let God have it, but God disarmed Elijah by asking, “Elijah, why are you here?” Elijah began to calm down as he began to ask himself, why was he there? What was he seeking, what did he really want to do about the situation? Elijah discovered that he had made himself mad and in his anger and righteous indignation, he had built up an emotional wall between himself and God. God had not deserted him. Elijah had let his own anger cover his senses and dull his mind.
Note that God does not shake his finger at Elijah or challenge his presumption. In the same quiet voice, God tells Elijah, “After you have eaten and rested, you need to return, and continue to be a sign of justice and truth in the very midst of an unjust and untruthful society.”
We, too, get upset about the very things that threaten to take over our senses and cloud our minds. For the past decade, controversies concerning sexuality have been a major part of the Christian Church’s life, regardless of denomination. I suggest that it is OK to acknowledge that we will have to grow in understanding and there are many of issues of human sexuality, the ramifications of which, at this time, we are not clear. Nonetheless, to be consumed by these issues threatens to be a great distraction from other important issues. Recently the Archbishop of Canterbury has written a letter expressing his concern and disapproval of actions taken by the Episcopal Church in the ordination of bishops who happened to be openly gay or lesbian, and our presiding Bishop has responded defending them. They are both articulate statements and they point to conundrums we likely will never solve in our lifetime. The cultural environment of people of faith in California or New Hampshire is widely different than for people of faith who live in parts of the world where traditional Moslem culture dominates and anti-Americanism is currently rampant, women religious leaders are not readily accepted, and questions over sexuality are largely suppressed. In our “flat ” world the widespread access to communication serves to publicize and intensify differences. Nonetheless, for people of faith, the witness to a life of God’s grace and meaning still urgently calls. We don’t have to be stuck in arguments about sexuality just as Elijah discovered he did need to be stuck in the desert hiding in a cave wishing for a different world.
Blame for the oil spill in the Gulf and controversy over government’s response fills the news. The larger issue isn’t one of assigning blame of either specific corporations or the response of a specific governmental agency, but one of our stewardship. The oceans cover over 70% of the globe, and provide the largest source of food for humanity. We know less about the floor of the oceans that we do about the surface of the moon. What is our thirst for petroleum products doing to the earth? That’s not a question meant to invite partisan political posturing, but to name the basic questions that come out of the Biblical vision of God giving us care over all other living things. Why are we here on this earth? What is our relationship to other living creatures be they snails or whales? The greater danger is refusing to consider the larger questions and instead being sidetracked and distracted by our own anger or self-pity and self-interest.
God didn’t enter the emotional turmoil of Elijah’s huffing and puffing. God answered Elijah by reframing and refocusing his vision. God reminded Elijah of his core purpose. Elijah was never going to be a beloved figure in the kingdom of Israel. If they had had such things, Elijah, the Tishbite, never would have reached any significant numbers in the popular polls and he would have certainly been ridiculed on talk radio. But because Elijah returned to what he was called to do, his legacy was remembered and honored.
What are we doing here? Today we are asked, not necessarily in the noisy voice of popular culture, but in the still soft voice of Biblical history. What are true prophets called to see, what conversations are people of faith expected to have, what is the role of those to whom God calls to be healers and reconcilers in our world?
And I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen.
.
