A meditation: "When Elijah heard the quiet voice,
he muffled his face … went to the mouth of the cave, and stood
there. A quiet voice asked, "So Elijah, now tell me, what are
you doing here?" Elijah said … 'I've been working my heart out
for God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel
have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship,
and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're
trying to kill me.'" (1 Kings 19: 13-14, The Message)
"What are you doing here?" My first response is
a defensive one. "Well," I say to God, "I'm quite busy as you
can see. I've done the laundry this morning and put bread to rise
and trimmed the lilac trees and I'm writing curriculum for next
year's new history class." As accurate as it is, that is a hallow
answer. I don't need to be defensive; it's a fair question.
"What are you doing here?" Like Elijah I live in
a world of politics and power, a world of might and right, a world
of manipulation and self-centeredness. I live in a secular world,
a world that tries to buy happiness and peace and joy, a world
that sees religions in extremes, a world in which extremists have
commandeered religious language. It is easy to be disheartened
in such a place.
"What are you doing here?" Transformed through prayer
and worship, the words of Jesus, my teacher, remind me that my
job is to love God and others. To love those who minimize me as
well as though who hold me dear. Not to judge my fellow travelers.
Indeed while they may look or act in ways I would not, they may
carry God's wisdom in their heart. It is my task to be faithful
in my actions, to be loving in my heart.
"What are you doing here?" When God asks me that
question I hope I can say, " I am here to witness and to serve."
-cdw
Weekly devotional and prayer requests
for July 18-24, 2008.
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