The showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one
of the riveting scenes in the Hebrew Scriptures. When King Ahab assembled the Israelites, the
forthright prophet offered a stark choice: “If the Lord is God, follow him; but
if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21b).
And the people were silent.
Elijah is a
powerful figure for each of the three Abrahamic faiths. His clarity about serving the One true God
commends him to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and the narratives of Tanakh,
New Testament, and Qur’an feature him prominently. His willingness to provoke a contest on behalf
of Israel’s God demonstrated his force of conviction.
Elijah’s
blunt option is not simply an occasion in the 9th century of ancient
Israel. Urgent discernment is required in every age about the nature of
idolatry and true worship. Like our
forebears in faith, we craft “gods” that we can manipulate and forsake the One
who is alone worthy of worship. Whether
it be what we amass or public opinion of us, our idolatry keeps us
“limping.” While we may protest that we
do not worship “graven images,” the simple truth is that anything we give
ultimate concern to becomes our deity, as Tillich taught.
Many of us
waste time because we are unfocused on what we desire to accomplish, especially
as a person of faith. Our tepid
commitment and our capacity to compartmentalize our lives means that we live
without an orienting center that grants integration (wholeness) of identity.
On Memorial
Day I visited my Aunt Jerry, just two weeks shy of her 100th
birthday. I asked her how it felt to be
turning 100. “It is a privilege,” she
said. I think that attitude has
contributed greatly to her longevity.
Decades ago she made a decision not to speak ill of others, not to
criticize decisions her family members were making, and not to think her way of
doing things was the only way. Her
“hidden wholeness” has been burnished by the years, and she radiates grace.
My Aunt determined that her faith
would take very practical expressions.
Even in her recent years, she has continued to find ways to offer
concrete assistance to others. Following
the Lord has made her a compassionate and insightful person, and others are
drawn to her.
Elijah’s challenge should
interrogate our lives today. Whom will
we serve; whom will we follow? Wholeness
will come when that decision is made.
Molly T. Marshall
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