Eyes of Elijah

Finding God in the small and simple things

08/09/2020

1 Kings 19:9A, 11-13A At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. Then the LORD said to him, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Someone recently sent me a list of 12 aphorisms to lift my spirits, and they really did lift my spirits. I think we can all use a little perk in the midst of this pandemic. They are: “One, accept the fact that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue. Two, always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. Three, always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. Four, drive carefully…It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker. Five, if you cannot be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.” By the way, that’s why so many homilies are vague: you wouldn’t like them if they were clearer! It goes on: “Six, it may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

“Seven, never buy a car you cannot push. Eight, since it’s the early worm that always gets eaten by the bird, sleep late. Nine, birthdays are good for you: the more you have the longer you live! Ten, we could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box. Eleven: save the earth…it’s the only planet with chocolate! And twelve, you may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.” That last one is my favorite.

What I really like about these little sayings is how each one sees the joy in the little things in life: pigeons, birthdays, chocolate and even crayons. Every aphorism sort of teaches us to see again because it’s almost as if we’ve become blind to the beauty all around us. And ultimately that Beauty’s name is “Jesus.” William Blake, the English poet, wrote: “How sweet I roam’d from field to field / And tasted all the summer’s pride, / Till I the Prince of love beheld / Who in the sunny beams did glide.” In other words, aphorisms can help us to see the Prince of love all around us, even in a pandemic. Jesus is the best perk in a pandemic.

The first reading today is taken from 1 Kings 19, one of my favorite stories about Elijah the prophet. Elijah knows that one of the best places to meet God is on a mountain top. You might recall that in 1 Kings 18, Elijah had just defeated the 450 prophets of the pagan god, Baal, on Mt. Carmel. Now, the prophet perches atop Mt. Horeb, which by the way, is another name for Mt. Sinai where Moses met God face to face. That meeting between God and Moses is recounted in Exodus 19, and on that occasion there was blast of trumpet, the earth trembled, and a fire blazed. 1 Kings 19, by contrast, shows God coming in a very different disguise. Not earthquake, fire or wind, but in “a tiny whispering sound.” Like William Blake said, “Till I the Prince of love beheld / Who in the sunny beams did glide.” Elijah learned that sometimes God is found in the simplest and smallest experiences in life, not necessarily in the towering and terrible. The Prince of love can be glimpsed gliding on shining sunbeams, if you look through the eyes of Elijah.

My friends, may I suggest that during this pandemic we try to see the Prince of love present in the small, simple and sweet experiences of life, and not go searching for him in the dramatic and daring? In a certain sense, this pandemic has educated us, like Elijah’s eyes were trained, to see God in “a tiny whispering sound.” Here are a few examples. Many families have spent tons of time together like never before. To be sure, they have driven each other crazy at times, but many have also discovered the joy of being together and quality time together: enjoying simple things like card games, board games, and puzzles. Parents increasingly tell me that they will continue to work from home, even after this pandemic is over. The pandemic has taught them to see with the eyes of Elijah, and find the Prince of love right in their own home.

This pandemic has also piqued our hunger for the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Many Catholics are truly missing coming to Mass, in particular the elderly, like my parents. They ask me every week: Is it safe to return to Mass yet? And I tell them: no not yet! But have you ever noticed how the sacraments use the smallest and simplest signs and symbols: a handful of water, a wafer of bread, a sip of wine, a smidge of oil, the words of wedding vows, and so forth? Maybe that’s one reason some people sadly miss the miracle and the majesty of the Mass. Why? Well, they are looking for the thunder, earthquake and fire, but the Lord comes in “a tiny whispering sound” – like when spouses whisper “I love you.” That takes the eyes and ears of Elijah.

Finally, may I share a little secret with you? Have you ever noticed that the priest sometimes whispers prayers that are inaudible to the congregation? We are not talking to ourselves or cursing the deacon under our breath for some mistake he made. We are saying personal prayers, sometimes called “secret prayers.” One of my favorites is said after reading the gospel and while kissing it. We whisper: “Through the words of the Gospel, may our sins be wiped away.” In other words, the words of Sacred Scripture have healing properties. Maybe this pandemic has given you extra time to read the Bible. After you read it, you have my permission to kiss it and whisper my secret prayer: “Through the words of the gospel, may our sins be wiped away.” Try to see every tiny word of God with the eyes of Elijah.

My friends, where is God? Naturally, he is everywhere. Moses and Elijah both found him on Mt. Horeb/Mt. Sinai but in different disguises. We may sometimes see God in his grandeur and glory, but more often, I suspect we will spy him in “a tiny whispering sound.” Maybe one perk of this pandemic is we are learning to see God with the eyes of Elijah.

Praised be Jesus Christ!