The Sound of Silence

This part of Kings, concerning Elijah, is best understood when we go back a bit. Elijah has just challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest to see whose 'god' is the best. The prophets of Baal spend most of the day chanting and dancing and do not cause a reply from Baal. Elijah invokes the name of the Lord God, and the mountaintop is consumed in fire and a flood. The queen Jezebel is not real happy and sends her guards to kill Elijah. So Elijah is taking refuge in this cave, fearing for his life, wishing he had never agreed to be a prophet.

The Apostle Peter is the leader of the Apostles, but so often falls short of the expectations of discipleship. Here we have Peter in the boat and are full of awe as he climbs out onto the water. But the wind and waves are too much for him as he begins to sink. "Lord save me."

To be sure in the midst of Sin and confusion we can wonder why God is not hearing our voice. Sure the mountain is engulfed in fire for Elijah, but then he has people chasing him with sharp instruments. He probably thought propheting would be a lot easier. But then we recognize that Jesus speaks to us in quiet and simple ways. Bread, wine, a word, or a touch. Even his Crucifixion was most likely unnoticed by most people on that Good Friday.

The real challenge as we are taken by the storms of life is to remain focused in faith. It is too easy to wander away looking for easy fixes and simple solutions. Sin and sinfulness can so easily distract us that we do not always recognize that Jesus is standing before us inviting us to come to him. As disciples in the boat we need to be real attentive as he calms us, "Have courage, do not be afraid, it is I."