Elijah had a lot going on. Things were desperate. There was a lot on his shoulders.
And in the midst of it all God calls Elijah to meet Him even more closely. So, where does Elijah go to meet God? He goes to a cave. He takes shelter there.
Where have you gone when you needed shelter? Elijah went to a cave. God then tells Elijah to go to the entrance of the cave. God is going to pass by the entrance to the cave.
Three things then happen.
- There is a strong and heavy wind that rends the mountain. God is not in the wind.
- There is an earthquake. God is not in the earthquake.
- There is a fire. God is not in the fire.
Then there is a tiny, whispering sound. That’s the sign of God’s presence. Elijah hides his face and stands at the entrance of the cave to meet God.
To enter the cave is to return to the depth of the earth. Elijah returns to the depths of the mud of the earth. It is a return to the moment preceding creation – when God took mud from the earth to create man.
And then creation …
- The strong, heavy wind that rends the mountain is the Spirit hovering over the waters at the original creation.
- The earthquake is the separation of the land as happened in the original creation.
- And the fire is the flaming sword of the cherubim angel who guards even today the way to the tree of life.
And then the tiny whispering sound is God blowing the breath of life into the nostrils of man.
There is so much we want God to do for us. The list of things we have for God to do can be a burden that weighs us down. It can block us from actually meeting God.
Instead, we can take a step back. Step into the depths of where you and I come from. Let’s allow God to create us. Let’s breathe in and adore the One who bestows the tiny whispering sound into the depths of our being.
God bless,
Msgr. Brian Bransfield
