Where is God?

Pentecost 8 + Proper 14

The Lessons are found here.

Where is God, when we need God?

In our readings today, Elijah and Peter give us two parts of the answer to this question.

Elijah thought he was doing God’s will, and doing the best he could. Just prior to today’s scene [I Kings 19:9-18], Elijah had taken on the entire cadre of the priests of Ba'al. For quite some time, he had opposed the idol worship that was gradually taking the place of worship of the God of Israel. He had preached, prophesied, and personally warned King Ahab of the dangers of worshipping false gods. In response, Ahab and his queen, Jezebel, had set up a statue of Ba'al in the Temple in Jerusalem. No longer able to bear it, Elijah had challenged the priests of the fertility god to a show-down.

If there had been television back then, this would have warranted live coverage. Elijah killed a bull and laid it on a gigantic stone altar. He then confronted Ba'al’s best: call down fire from heaven to consume this sacrificial offering.

They chanted, they danced, they called down incantations, they even cut themselves with knives and swords, but nothing happened. Then, Elijah prayed quietly to God, and lightning crashed down out of the sky, incinerating the carcass of the bull. The people recognized God’s power, and Elijah had all the prophets of Ba'al put to death.

When Queen Jezebel heard about it, she was furious. She sent Elijah a terse message, “before the end of the day, you will suffer the same fate as my prophets.” [I Kings 19:2, paraphrased] Terrified, Elijah fled for his life. First, he just ran into the desert, probably thinking it was better to die there than at the hand’s of Jezebel’s hit-men.

In the desert, an angel appeared and told Elijah to eat. He was being sent on a long journey. So Elijah ate and then he walked for – guess how long? Right: forty days! – to the mountain of God, Horeb. Up on that mountain, he found a cave and took up residence in it. That’s where today’s story begins. God goes looking for Elijah and is surprised to find him, cowering in a cave. “What are you doing here, Elijah?” God asks. [I Kings 19:9]

As though he had been rehearsing for this question, Elijah lays out his plaint: I have always been zealous for the Lord, but Israel has abandoned You. They have killed all your other prophets, and now they’re after me.

So, God tells Elijah to go outside his cave and stand; that the Lord will soon be passing by. As you heard in the reading, first there is a wind so strong that it breaks mountains, then an earthquake, and finally a raging inferno. But God is not present in any of these. At last, there is nothing left but the sound of silence, and that is where Elijah finally hears the true voice of God. Elijah is so overcome by the awesomeness of God’s majesty that he covers his face with his cloak. 

It is easy to see and fear the power of God in nature. You and I would have a hard time indeed, standing in the open as a hurricane, an earthquake, and a forest fire raged all around us! We would probably think it was the end of the world, and we would pray for a quick and painless death. But we would be wrong to think that these manifestations were showing us God or God’s action in our lives.

Many people today see the signs of the Apocalypse in all that is happening around us. We see hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, and other natural disasters almost every day, it seems – and they appear to be getting more frequent and more devastating. Should we look to these natural events and see God’s hand in them? Should we take them as the voice of God, telling us to change our ways or die?

We find an answer to these questions in the story of Peter in today’s Gospel. Once again, a terrible natural event occurs – a storm that batters the small boat, with winds that force it away from shore and safety. The disciples probably thought they were going to die, too. In the midst of this mighty tempest, they thought they saw a ghost. They surely believed that the end was near. Then the ghost spoke to them, “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.” [Matthew 14:27] Once he realizes that Jesus is near, Peter seems to display a mix of emotions. He wants to believe, but he also wants some proof that God is really with them. “Lord, If it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” [Matthew 14:28]

How often we look for a sign and then put God to the test, demanding proof that it is truly a sign from God! Peter starts out confidently, but seeing the wind and waves, and knowing for a fact that a human being cannot possibly walk on water, he quickly gives in to doubt. Sinking in his disbelief, Peter cries out for help: “Lord, save me!” [Matthew 14:30]

That’s when Peter gets his answer, and we also get ours. Without hesitating, Jesus reaches out his hand and lifts Peter up. Then, they both get into the boat and the storm is over.

That is our answer. When all seems lost, when the forces of nature seem bent on destroying us, when it seems that our enemies, and God’s, are triumphant, when we cry out, “where is God?” this is our answer: God is not in the storm. God is not in the wind, the fire, or the earthquake. But God is also not silent. Rather, if we are quiet enough, in the silence we find out exactly where God is.

God is right there in the boat with us.