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 Wednesday of 10^th Week in Ordinary Time, Yr. II: reflection

Theme: The God that answers by fire and the steadfastness of Elijah

Reading: 1Kgs 18:20-39

Many Christians frequently invite God into circumstances beyond their power by using prayerful songs derived from today’s first reading on the story of Elijah's encounter with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Such songs have lyrics like "God of Elijah, send down fire" and "the God who answers by fire, you will be my God."

Today, my focus is not on the calling down of fire by Elijah nor on the defeat of the prophets of Baal, but on the steadfastness of Elijah, which attracted God’s prompt response to his call for fire. Our Jesus Christ said if we have faith as small as the mustard seed, we can tell a mountain to move and it will obey us (Mt 17:20).

Prior to the encounter on Mt Camel, queen Jezebel had launched a massive attack against the prophets of God because she wanted the worship of Baal to be the state religion of Israel. Many were killed, others fled. Elijah was the only prophet left to face the queen and the 450 priests of the new god. Instead of crossing over to the new religion or at least remaining silent as many people of our own time would have preferred, Elijah remained steadfast in his conviction that the true God was the Almighty God of Israel and firmly stood against the queen and her 450 priests.

In the passage we read today, Elijah boldly stated that he was not intimidated standing alone against 450 men nor afraid of standing alone when the people chose to ignore his plea for them to choose between God and Baal (1Kgs 18:20-22).

Elijah’s steadfastness and victory demonstrated the wrongness of the popular logic that the number of supports one gets shows how right or wrong he is. Sadly, our world is gradually turning into a place where the logic that everything is decided by popular vote is being applied everywhere; a place where erroneous ideologies are declared right and acceptable based on the number of people and social status of those who endorse it.

Dear friends, Elijah has taught us that you can stand alone and still be right, especially when you are standing for God and for the good. So, whoever wants the God of Elijah to answer him as He answered Elijah must be ready to show his steadfastness in God and for the good, even if such steadfastness entails standing alone against the wrong position of more than 450 strong people.

May your Wednesday be richly blessed.

Fr Isaac Chima