Living in the Spirit
Living in the Spirit
June 13, 2022
Scripture Reading:
1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a
He 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; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When 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?’ He 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.’ Then 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. –1 King 19:11-15
Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
Then the sign said, “The words on the prophets are written on the subway walls
In tenement halls”
And whispered in the sound of silence*
There are lots of interpretations of this song, but I have seen none that connect it to the above scripture. I do not know if Paul Simon had this scripture in mind when he wrote it, but the song speaks to me of a world where no one listens to anyone else, and everyone follows the latest temptation that presents itself. In such instances, we do not have to think or weigh the worth of what is put before us. It suggests that oneness has nothing to do with loving one another but focusing our love on the bright shiny objects of the world as we stand next to each other and are still totally alone. Only when Elijah does the impossible, lets go of all those outward distractions, and hears the sound of silence does he recognize that God is always with him, and he is never alone. God’s presence empowers him to return to his calling leading the people out of the wilderness of separation from God and into the fullness of loving God and loving one another.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we get caught up in the ways of the world. Return us to wholeness in your love that allows us to the oneness with you and one another. Amen.
*First and last verse of Sound of Silence by Paul Simon see at https://www.google.com/search?q=sound+of+silence+lyrics&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS987US987&oq=Sound+&aqs=chrome.1.69i59l2j69i57j35i39j46i10i199i465i512j69i60l3.3798j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.