Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time-A
It was only a whisper, a small sound. Elijah was cowering in a cave because he was miserable. He thought himself a failure and wanted to die. But he was ordered to eat and travel to Horeb, the mountain of God. There he was told the Lord would pass by. Not telling him how this would come to pass, Elijah assumed the God of all power would make his presence known in some grand and bold, wondrous way.
In those days it was a common belief that thunder and storms were the voice of God. All violent manifestations of nature were attributed to God speaking to human beings.
So, when the wind picked up, so strong it crushed rocks. Elijah thought God was speaking. But God was not in the wind. Then, the earth quaked around him as the prophet hid in the cave. God was not in the earthquake. Fire broke out all around him, and still, God was not in the fire. After all the calamity, God spoke to him in a tiny whisper. It was then he knew he was in the presence of God, hid his face in his cloak, and came out of the cave.
Elijah was not the only one to be fearful; so were Jesus’ disciples. Jesus had instructed his disciples to get into a boat and cross over to the other side. He then went up a mountain to pray alone. Suddenly, a huge storm blew up on the Sea of Galilee and began to overtake the boat, where seasoned fisherman feared for their lives. Just like before, the Lord was not in the winds or the sea, but rather he was observing the frightened Apostles from the shore.
Miraculously, they saw an image that they thought was a ghost walking on the water toward them. Then a voice said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” The familiarity of the voice led Peter to query if it was the Lord; he could bid him to walk on the water too.
Jesus told him, “Come”. Peter began to defy nature and walk on the surface of the water until he doubted and began to sink, begging Jesus to save him. “Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” When the wind died down, those in the boat did homage to Jesus and declared he was indeed the Son of God.
The similarity of Elijah and Peter’s story is the way in which God presents himself to us. We often think, as did the ancients, that God’s presence is in an event or events of great magnitude. Searching for God in those external things will ultimately end in our futility because God is not any of those.
The whisper of God speaking to us is something that happens in our interior spiritual dimension. It is spoken quietly and hard to distinguish if there is a raging storm within us.
Even when we want to pray, we often find our minds drifting off to the many worries and things which monopolize our time and energies. A whisper can never be heard if our interior life is chaotic and without peace, and yet we wrongly think and expect to hear a tiny whisper.
This could be one of the greatest challenges of Christian life– becoming comfortable in stillness.
If it is important for you to want to be in the presence of God and listen to what He has to say to you, you have to carve out a space away from the cacophony which usually takes hold of your mind. God will work with your imperfectness, and even a small space will suffice. Part of faith is a dedication to be in communion and conversation with God, meaning we need to make room for him to speak in his whispers.
Intentionally withdrawing from the hustle and bustle is the starting point. When we begin to pray, the tendency is to want to recite the prayer words we always use or ask God to provide for our needs in one way or another. There isn’t room for quiet and stillness.
Instead, we should strive at the beginning of prayer, even for the shortest of time, with an empty mind and in silence. Practice to calm yourself and learn to be comfortable in the nothingness. Then you have created the opportunity to listen for the faint voice of God.
Sometimes being a person of faith means stepping out of our boats, our normal securities, and making a leap of faith in stillness. It is only then that we can hope to hear, “Courage! Do not be afraid.” Our faith, like Peter’s, is something the Lord can use and build on, and if we give him the tiniest of openings, he will.