Personally, I like the story of the ascension of Elijah much better. That is an epic story on how to leave earth alive. A fiery chariot. Yesterday the Old Testament reading was about Elijah. It struck me as I was reading the Daily Office yesterday that for many people I know, the idea of living with dangerous encounters with God went out of fashion during the days of Elijah. We tend to think that Jesus did away with all of that fear of the Lord, and now we see God more of a friend who would like to get to know us better if we can find the time and if not, well God loves us anyway. I am not sure that serves us well. Sometimes I think we need a little bit more fear of the Lord. Native Americans tend to view the fear of God and the love of God as two windows looking out at the same reality. They find fear to be transformative.
Elijah is one of the most enigmatic characters in the whole Bible. If you want to read a fascinating character study, read the book of Kings. He would have made a great Avenger. His super hero costume was camel hair and he was ugly. This dude killed about 800 people with a sword by himself, rained fire down from heaven, fed hungry people with a loaf of bread, brought on a famine that lasted for three years, raised the dead, walked on water and fled for his life. He spoke directly with God. God visited him once in a cave...in silence. He suffered a debilitating depression, hid under a broom tree and angels came and fed him. He actually asked God to kill him. He also showed up at Jesus' transfiguration right along with Moses. He prayed some powerful prayers, so powerful that during the first century church, the writer of the book of James thought to use him as an example.
And the reading made me think of how I would spend my last day. Elijah spent his last day walking. About 38 miles to be exact. That is alot of walking. He was visiting each of the prophets that attended his prophet schools and telling them good bye and to keep the faith. He also was testing Elisha, his servant. Elijah knew prophets rarely make good table guests and usually find themselves short on friendly support. They tend to have abandonment issues. Elijah sure did because he was always asking if Elisha was going to leave him. Elisha must have passed because he ended up with a double portion of Elijah's spirit. And then he left in a fiery chariot. Wow. Now that is how to leave a life.
I think the whole point of Elijah's story is to teach us to live out loud and realize prophets rarely make good table guests. We all have prophets in our lives and generally speaking we don't like to hear what they say. They are speaking the truth, we just don't like it and we don't want to change. Elijah tells us change is going to come. The only question to be answered is how you are going to deal with it. Are you going to end up dead like the prophets of Baal or are you going to walk on water? Are you going to make the necessary changes that ensure you are living your best life out loud? Elijah lived what he believed even when it seemed to not make sense. Elijah lived what he believed even when his life was in danger. He knew authentic living is the only way to live and even if it meant hanging out in the desert waiting for angels to come and feed him, he was willing to do that.
And the reading made me think of how I would spend my last day. Elijah spent his last day walking. About 38 miles to be exact. That is alot of walking. He was visiting each of the prophets that attended his prophet schools and telling them good bye and to keep the faith. He also was testing Elisha, his servant. Elijah knew prophets rarely make good table guests and usually find themselves short on friendly support. They tend to have abandonment issues. Elijah sure did because he was always asking if Elisha was going to leave him. Elisha must have passed because he ended up with a double portion of Elijah's spirit. And then he left in a fiery chariot. Wow. Now that is how to leave a life.
And I thought about Elijah again today when I saw a favorite patients. Nurses always have their pets. He is living what he believes and it just does not make a lot of sense right now. Cancer and suffering never do. He wakes up every morning, smiles every morning and watches the sun rise. He says he likes to see God make a new day. Even with all his stuff, and he has alot of stuff going on right now, God is good still. He reads the bible everyday because "I have not found anything better. Every thing you need to live a good life- is right here." I don't know about you but people like that always humble me and drop me to my knees. I have never heard nor seen him complain once and trust me he has plenty to complain about. Plenty. I suspect he does not have many sunrises left to see and I suspect he knows that too...and I wonder if it is at all possible ..do we leave in chariots? I hope so. I have been around the leaving enough to know we don't completely understand it and something does happen. Leaving here and how that happens exactly has always been and will always be the great mystery...so our human minds imagine flying to heaven on cloud balloons or soaring through the heavens on fiery chariots...
One of my favorite musicians wrote a song about Elijah. I first heard him sing it in chapel at Johnson University in the early 80's. and I fell in love with the lyrics. He also became somewhat of a spiritual guide for me. I think I might have it sung at my funeral. Finding the voice who can carry it will be the trick. Actually, I was given an exercise once to write my own funeral and I included this song. Funny thing about that little writing assignment, the person who assigned did not want to read it after I wrote it. I was offended till I realized I was his Elijah. And unfortunately for me, I left my sword at home that day.
So in case you don't make it to my funeral and in case you are my Elijah and I won't listen to you here's my last song...
All is grace and grateful beyond measure for
Elijah - we all need one
Rich Mullins - one of the deepest people I have ever met and we sure could use more of those
The power of lyrics
The power of narrative
People who like to watch God make a new day everyday
The power of sacred stories big and small
Dangerous encounters
Silence
Leaving my sword at home
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