Daily Prophets
Day 3
Today, I am beginning to look at Elijah. Elijah is introduced to me during the reign of Ahab. Ahab marries Jezebel and brings the worship of Baal to the Palace and to the land. Elijah was incensed. He let Ahab know that for his actions, “As God lives, the Lord of Israel who I stand with/who stands with me, there will be no dew or rain unless I my lips say so.” Elijah’s pronouncement is so bold. He, like Natan is so moved by God that he risks his life to deliver the words that God has put in his mouth.
Elijah is referring to himself as standing with God/who God stands with. What Chutzpah! I love it. The images that this bring up for me is loyalty, love and fidelity. Elijah is telling us whom to stand with, not mortals who corrupt and pollute the world through Idolatry, stand with God who stands with and for decency, love, faithfulness, truth, kindness and justice. My reading of the verse is that there is a reciprocity between us and God. We stand with God as a response to God standing with us.
While most of us have not brought Baal into our homes we are idolators in so many other ways. I think of how I made an idol of myself by trying to be perfect. Perfection is God’s realm, not mine as a human. Yet we worship perfection all the time, perfect looks, job, home, bank account, spouse, kids, etc. The College Entrance Scandal is about perfection and idolatry. We worship power instead of using our power to worship and fulfill God’s Will. Like Ahab and Jezebel, we do injustice in God’s name making it right because “the one with the Gold Rules” according to many.
I am writing this and becoming agitated with myself for all the times I was too blind to see how I was not standing with God and only standing with and for me. It is a sad realization and one that elates me. A real both/and because I can repair some of the damage, I can change and I don’t have to continue to see life through my lens, rather I can see and live life through God’s lens as I stand with God each day. Also, I see how God has stood with me throughout the good and bad, when I hit the mark and when I missed the mark. These past 9 months have been difficult as I transition from Senior Rabbi of Beit T’Shuvah to consultant. I am realizing how God stood for and with me throughout this time, even when I did not realize it. While I could have enacted this transition with a little more grace and Beit T’Shuvah could have shown me a little more respect, I am aware right now of how God stood with me and how God is standing with me now. I also realize how I stood with God, speaking Truth to power because I had to in order to honor my relationship with God and the people in power. I know I am standing with God because I have no resentments and/or anger toward this chapter of life. Here are some questions to ponder: How have you stood with God? How has God stood with you? How are you standing with God? How is God standing with you?
More on Elijah tomorrow, he is a trip of a guy:)