Homily for June 30, 2013 Graves Chapel

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Caught in a Whirlwind

Lesson:  2 Kings 2: 1-2, 6-14

There is a bumper sticker that I see fairly often, and I like it. Unfortunately, it includes a word I would never say aloud in the chapel, so for that word I will substitute a blank.  “Blank happens.” Maybe you’ve seen that one, too?

You may be wondering why I would admit to liking such a statement, and I will explain. That bumper sticker expresses the truth. We could substitute the phrase “bad things” for the unspeakable word, and I think you will see what I mean.

Bad things happen. That’s the truth, and there’s no getting around it. There isn’t anywhere in scripture where we are promised eternal happiness. There are no guarantees that all of our experiences will be happy ones. How could that even be possible? Our world is made up of complicated people and complicated systems—including the operations of nature—interacting and competing with each other. Bad things are bound to happen sometimes.

The people of this valley have good reasons to acknowledge that bad things do happen from time to time. Eighteen years ago this past Thursday, on June 27^th, 1995, a great flood swept down the valley, causing unbelievable destruction and tragic loss. Those of us who experienced that disaster and its aftermath will never forget it.  A year ago today, when David and I arrived here for a wedding, trees and power lines were down in front of Graves Chapel. The derecho had struck.  Those are two examples of physical, natural storms, not unlike the whirlwind in today’s reading from 2^nd Kings.  But sometimes the bad things we experience are emotional storms, caused by personal disasters: the break-up of a relationship, the death of a family member, a difficult diagnosis for ourselves or a loved one.

Today’s story about the great prophet Elijah offers a truly amazing perspective on a seeming natural disaster—and where God can be found in it.  In the beginning of the story, it isn’t clear why Elijah is traveling and trying to leave his persistent young understudy, Elisha, behind. All we know is that Elijah says he is going where God has called him. They encounter a company of fifty prophets who also decide to follow them, and these fifty are eyewitnesses to the ensuing mayhem.

Standing by the Jordan River, Elijah (as the great prophet Moses before him) parts the waters, and he and Elisha cross the river on dry land. At this point, Elijah says to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you before I’m taken from you,” and Elisha makes a bold request.  “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” Elijah points out that Elisha’s request—his prayer—is a presumptuous one, hard to grant, but he tells Elisha that if Elisha sees him as he is taken away, then Elisha’s request will be granted. As they continue walking and talking, “a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind to heaven.” Elisha stands his ground, calling out to Elijah and telling him what he sees: “Father, Father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” Then he grieves for his lost father, tearing his own clothes in despair and taking up the mantle Elijah left behind. As an illustration that Elijah’s spirit does now, indeed, rest on Elisha, when he strikes the waters of the Jordan with the mantle, they part for him as they had for Elijah, and Elisha walks across to the other side and rejoins the company of fifty prophets.

Our lesson for today ends there, but the next passage in 2^nd Kings tells us much about the reaction of those fifty waiting prophets. Remember, they watched all that transpired from a distance, from the other side of the Jordan River.  What they saw looked like a lightning firestorm and a tornado, natural events that are fairly common in their Middle East. They saw Elijah being carried away in the whirlwind, and when Elisha returns safely, they acknowledged that, since he is the apparent survivor of a terrible natural disaster, Elisha now bears the spirit as well as the mantle of Elijah. One of them speaks up and says to Elisha, “There are fifty strong men here. Let us go and see if we can find the body of your master where he has been thrown down by the Lord on some mountain or in some valley.”  Elisha believes that such a search is futile, but when the prophets insist on going, he gives them permission.

So, what can this very dramatic story say to us today about the natural and other disasters that we have to face in our lives?

Elisha’s loss of his mentor and father-figure reminds us of the natural order of things: generations move forward with time, and we lose our grandparents and parents. Our sorrow at such times is unavoidable, but we can be comforted in the knowledge that God has called them, as he does Elijah, home to heaven.  This kind of passing on is one that we anticipate, even if we wish we didn’t have to say good-bye to our older loved ones.

But how do we cope with the unexpected losses? I believe God has a plan for each of us. Sometimes the events of our lives will take us to unexpected and unwanted places. We may find ourselves experiencing natural disaster or personal tragedy.  Wherever we are and whatever we face on our journey toward God, God is always present with us. God will always allow something good to come out of any bad thing that happens. That is the promise of God’s redemption and the gift of eternal life granted to us by Christ’s resurrection.        Amen.