An Encounter More Ordinary

The LORD Appears to Elijah And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the 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 came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

1 Kings 19 : 9b-13

Fast forward a few years... musings about the big questions of a man's destiny, his lonely road of life and faltering attempts to hear God lead a much younger, lesser man of God to expect loud prophesy and earthquakes in his day. Through ages, space and time, the thoughts are really not so different after all:

'Lord, speak to me! The world is going crazy, the men of God are few... and the evil one is trying to get me too!'

There were signs and wonders, but the Lord spoke not through them this time.

There was indeed, much prophesy, but the Lord spoke not through them this time.

There was the unmistaken presence, but the Lord spoke not through it this time.

And when it had all ended one warm sunday afternoon... there was, i kid you not, a gentle whisper.

Of a friend.