Weekend of September 11- 12, 2010
Rev. Dr. Joseph S. Kenaston
11He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14He answered, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” 15Then the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
- 1 Kings 19:11-18
Noise! Noise! Noise! Everywhere you turn, there is noise. It could be a TV, a computer, telephone, or an ipod that is the source of the sound. It could also be horns honking, a truck backing up, a construction project, or a low flying plane. The sound could also be from a rooster crowing, a cow mooing, a dog barking, or a person talking. We are surrounded by sound! Some of the sounds are joyful like a toddler calling your name and others are the mournful lament of the bereaved. It is an audible world we live in.
In the passage about Elijah, there is a theophany (appearance of God). Remarkably, God is not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire. The Bible has many occurrences when God makes God’s presence known in those elements (wind – Gen. 1:2 & Acts 2:2; earthquake - Isaiah 29:6 & Acts 16:26; and fire – Exodus 13:21 & Acts 2:3). God is discovered in the “sound of sheer silence” (NRSV) or “still small voice” (KJV) or “gentle whisper” (NIV). It seems to me that when we keep ourselves wrapped in a mantle of sound, we may never hear the gentle voice of God. The divine presence is obscured by our constant cacophony of sound.
We afraid to let go of the comforting buzz of sound. The silence leaves us vulnerable, receptive, and open to the ambiguous and uncertain realm of being disconnected to others as well as the audible trivia that demands our attention. If it is truly quiet, then we are left with our own thoughts, feelings, and images.
It is not only the exterior sounds that can drown the divine voice, but, as Margaret Guenther writes, “the real culprit is inner noise.” Our minds are whirring at a dizzying pace. We sometimes can not hear the whisper of God for the hum of our thoughts and inner distractions. Perhaps this week, God is asking us to be like Elijah, to listen for the quiet sounds of God’s presence. Guenther writes, “On God’s command, Elijah left the shelter of the cave, withstood wind, earthquake, and fire, then embraced the silence. Such openness to God is a tedious ascent, a courageous turning inward and surrender.” Elijah was blessed by God’s presence in the “sound of sheer silence” and heard God’s “gentle whisper.”
Prayer:
Please sit in silence and stillness: listen, reflect, and soak in the presence of God
