(Contributed by Cecily Paterson)
The story of Elijah is very instructive for anyone who is feeling alone, isolated and misunderstood.
Elijah replied, "I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I alone am left, and now they are trying to kill me, too."
1 Kings 19:10
Elijah feels alone. He’s dwelling on his isolation, and it’s making him almost arrogant. He’s getting into a sense of forced melancholy – sort of crisis, panic, super-drama. It’s an easy state for any of us to find ourselves in.“I’m the only one who really understands the world, who really sees the problems in Australia, who really has a relationship with God that means something, who’s really suffered, who really.... " Well, you fill in the blank.
It's so easy to find ourselves the hero of an exaggerated super-drama.But God did not leave Elijah alone. He does not leave us alone either. We would have to go far to be completely isolated. There is always someone to stand with - others who love God. Why did Elijah not make an effort to find others who were the same as him and seek refuge with them? I don’t know. Maybe fear of being rejected, killed or persecuted? Maybe it was pride. In a dramatic way, it’s kind of cool to be the only one left! The single hero, solitary figure, misunderstood.
There are heaps of movies are built on that romantic ideal. But interestingly, the single, solitary, misunderstood hero is always seriously flawed - as a result of their isolation. It might be cool or interesting to be isolated for a while. But you will die of it in the end. It was the grace of God that told Elijah there were 500 others who followed him. Not just two or three. But 500!
There are plenty of people around who we can stand with too. We have to face our fears and our pride and go out and identify ourselves with them.
(15 points for naming the location in the picture)
4 comments:
I liked reading this...thanks Cecily! Sometimes it's hard to remember others are there when you're caught up in feeling all alone.
As for the picture, is it Mt Alexander from a distance?
No worries Jodie.
I have no idea what the picture is either. I would have thought Mt Alexander is the best guess, as that's the view from our kitchen window!
15 points for Jodie.
5 for Cecily!
Lucky guess really...considering I've never lived in Mittagong!
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