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1st Kings 19:9-18; Ephesians 4:17-32; John 6:15-27; Psalms 68, 72
Life can seem so out of control sometimes. Whether it is the insanity that can be caused by an overly-full calendar or just the monotony of "the same old routine" which can also fill a calendar, life can seem to be beyond our ability to be in command of it. This seeming lack of control can be the cause of much consternation.
Our Daily Office readings today remind us that there is a way to approach this consternation that can deflate the anxiety balloon we can create out of these kinds of situations. In 1st Kings we have Elijah in a cave on the side of "God's mount" where he is hiding from the folks who want to kill him. And God comes to him, not in a great wind, nor in an earthquake, nor in a fire, but God comes to Elijah in utter and sheer silence. God tells Elijah to not fear the things from which he is running but to go back and face them.
In our Gospel today we have Jesus calming the stormy out of control waters and calming the nerves of his fearful disciples. We also have Jesus instructing the people whom he just fed, with only five loaves and two fishes, an important truth, that we should work not for food that perishes but for food that endures. It seems that Jesus is telling us that we should not be caused concern by those things that are not important to the bigger picture. Sure we have to face those things that perhaps are unpleasant and difficult, like God instructed Elijah to do, but we should not let the stormy waters surrounding us, nor our hunger to control things that are seemingly out of control, to misdirect us from the bigger picture that Jesus models for us.
We are reminded today to look for God in those moments of utter and surprising silence, not in the hubbub and distraction that can be our daily existence. We are reminded that we need to face those things that scare us, to live into them, keeping the bigger picture in mind: that way we are effectuating the creation of God's Kingdom, here....now.
Copyright: The Rev. John F. Dwyer, 2008
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