1 Kings 17:8-24

Year C - Pentecost⁺³ or Community Practice⁺³
June 5, 2016

1 Kings 17:8-24

We are dealing here with a very high theology of G*D. This G*D meddles. Well at least as the storyline goes. We, of course, are able to mediate this G*D. We listen for a call. We go where we are sent. We carry assurance that some plan will see us through. We bump into a bump and draw this to G*D’s attention with every expectation that our assessment of the situation is what is going on. So we act and, hooray, everything works out better than could be expected. As a result our assurance is confirmed, we really are G*D’s right hand.

Imagine for a moment what this story would be without the affirmation that G*D’s “word” is in our mouth, that we represent G*D. How difficult will it be to let that go? How trapped we are in our transactions!

This is a very strong and evocative story that easily catches at our imagination. Now imagine you didn’t have an imagination. Can you see how this story tricks us into thinking more about G*D and less about Neighb*r? If those two are to be intimately intertwined we will need to lose most of the story: Elijah heard, “Go to Zarephath near Sidon, not that other one.” The son of a widow died. Elijah walks the boy down from the upper room and returns him to his mother. Elijah next heard, “Go to Ahab.” And on we go.