There is a phrase which I rely upon a lot, which I owe to the Catholic theologian James Alison, and which is tremendously helpful in all sorts of contexts: God is not in the drama. We have just had the famous reading from 1 Kings, when Elijah meets God in the 'still, small voice of calm'. Elijah has been participating in a very dramatic story, he has contested with the priests of Baal, has apparently been vindicated by God, and then flees from the resulting persecution into the mountains. “Woe is me!”, he exclaims, “I am the only one left who is faithful to God!”. He is telling himself a dramatic story. There is a sequence of dramatic events – the earthquake, wind and fire – and God is not in them. Then, in the silence, Elijah recognises that the real God has arrived, who tells him to anoint his successor, and that there are still seven thousand who have not bent the knee.
High Sam, from the Anglican Church in NZ, another which prioritises the second over the first commandment. (For priorities check out the agenda of Diocesan and ‘higher’ structures when they ‘meet’)
Lovely post
The example of what you describe here to which I’ve returned over and again in these days is Jesus asleep in the storm. A better description of ‘God is not in the drama’ you perhaps couldn’t wish for? Really liked the Elijah one :)
Aha! yes, of course, that's a brilliant example - I'll use that the next time I talk about it :) James Alison talks about the Elijah story in 'Faith Beyond Resentment' - totally blew my mind when I read that for the first time
My sense is that we live in a period of Drama, Storm if you will. Everything is IMPORTANT! Everywhere one looks people are being caught up [sic] in the storm, uprooted. Many Christians included.
Jesus is asleep in the boat, near to its ballast point. When we get caught up in the storm we lose touch with the non anxious one. Caught up In Marthaesque multiplicity of ‘concerns’ we miss the fact of Jesus in the boat.
Contemplation earths us, grounds us, makes us more Christ like, more like ballast
High Sam, from the Anglican Church in NZ, another which prioritises the second over the first commandment. (For priorities check out the agenda of Diocesan and ‘higher’ structures when they ‘meet’)
Lovely post
The example of what you describe here to which I’ve returned over and again in these days is Jesus asleep in the storm. A better description of ‘God is not in the drama’ you perhaps couldn’t wish for? Really liked the Elijah one :)
Kindest
E
Aha! yes, of course, that's a brilliant example - I'll use that the next time I talk about it :) James Alison talks about the Elijah story in 'Faith Beyond Resentment' - totally blew my mind when I read that for the first time
You’re most welcome
My sense is that we live in a period of Drama, Storm if you will. Everything is IMPORTANT! Everywhere one looks people are being caught up [sic] in the storm, uprooted. Many Christians included.
Jesus is asleep in the boat, near to its ballast point. When we get caught up in the storm we lose touch with the non anxious one. Caught up In Marthaesque multiplicity of ‘concerns’ we miss the fact of Jesus in the boat.
Contemplation earths us, grounds us, makes us more Christ like, more like ballast
Kindest
Wonderful! Thank you