GOD OF THE SILENCE

Dr. Richard J. Henderson June 10, 2007

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Galatians 3:23-29
I Kings 19:1-15

Introduction

I see Bruce Willis' latest film is coming out. It's, of course, an action - adventure movie. From the trailers it looks like a Humvee and a helicopter collide mid-air in a huge explosion. There are speeding cars, exploding trucks, enormous flames, loud noises and huge crash scenes.

You know exactly what kind of movie you are going to see from the ads. You will be excited by the action, shaken by the visuals, all your senses will be assaulted with flames and explosions and pounding volume that will shake you. It should be great!

You know already you will come out of the theatre exhausted even although you have been sitting in the same seat for an hour and one half, because you've been bombarded by the whole experience.

I

Elijah has a kind of Bruce Willis experience in the passage we read this morning. He is on the run from Queen Jezebel, who is out to kill him. He has just proven the power of God and killed off the prophets of Baal, and Jezebel is furious. She promises to kill him within the next twenty-four hours.

Elijah is afraid, as he should be, so he runs for his life, and takes off to Beer-Sheeba. Then he goes a day's journey out into the wilderness. Jezebel shouldn't be able to find him there.

But he is despondent. Out there in the wilderness by himself, he pleads with God to take his life. "Send me a Jack Kevorkian," or words to that effect.

But instead he is told to climb a mountain. "The Lord will pass by," the angel says. Elijah climbs the mountain and waits. A ferocious wind comes that is so strong that it splits open rocks and tears away at the mountain side. But God is not in the wind.

Then an earthquake rattles the earth; the whole world shakes. But God is not in that earthquake. Then comes fire: searing heat and huge flames leaping into the air. The underbrush and trees catch fire and the earth rages with flames. But God is not in the fire.

Then the whole world is quiet. Stillness. The author says there was "the sound of sheer silence." And there was God. In the silent stillness God spoke.

II

I love this story because it rings so true. We often find God in the silence. When we quiet ourselves, quit our perpetual activity, and allow silence in, we open ourselves to hear God speaking.

My brother-in-law went on a silent retreat a few years back. For the whole weekend they didn't speak. They spent time in contemplation; they read; they allowed themselves to be open to God; but they didn't talk for a whole weekend. He said it was amazing - a dramatic change from the ordinary and a real spiritual experience.

A couple of years back we asked people in this congregation when they most often experienced the Spirit of God in worship. Many people said it was in the times of silence - the quiet before we begin, the silent prayers, the pauses for silence during the service.

Sometimes it seems that the noise, the action, the visuals keep the spiritual away. When we stop and settle down and quiet ourselves, it's amazing how the Spirit can touch us.

In the Christian church there is a strong tradition of contemplation - times of quiet, reflection, thinking about ourselves in relationship to God, about God's will for us, and allowing ourselves to listen to the silence.

You and I find that almost impossible, with long lists of things to do, events we have to go to, people we need to see or call. At times it seems like we are working hard at keep the silence away - turning up the volume so it won't be silent.

III

I think we also see God in the quiet, unnoticed actions of faithful people. God can be seen in the people who, without fanfare or glaring lights, make a special effort to help people in need.

We center so much of our attention on the glitzy lives of celebrities: who's in rehab this week, how is Paris doing behind bars, or how did she get out already, who is seeing whom, and what did they wear. We expend an enormous amount of time tracking the lives of poor, confused young stars.

But that's not where the really interesting experiences are. Look at the counselor who dedicates himself to help a kid whose home life is a mess. He helps that kid get through it and helps him see value in himself.

Did you read the story about the ex-politician (who ran for governor a couple of years ago) who started a school for underprivileged kids? Every teacher has the student's parents' phone numbers on speed dial. They teach, but also counsel, talk with, and support the students. One teacher even took a student in when he was homeless. These are experiences where the spirit of God can be seen. You won't find them flashing on the TV screen, but in their quiet actions, there is a glimpse of God.

IV

This passage also suggests that God is not in the raging fires or horrible storms, but in the quiet aftermath. It implies that God was not in the destructive force of hurricane Katrina, but is in the quiet, faithful people who go to rebuild after that destruction. For days on end the media covered the devastation that happened as a result of this disaster. We saw endless pictures of flattened houses, wiped out towns, and leveled coastline.

But there has been little coverage of the tens of thousands of volunteers who continue to go and help people rebuild. Each Christian denomination has areas set up to house volunteers from all over the country. People take time off of work and pay their own expenses to go and help people rebuild, or start from the ground up. God isn't seen in the fury of this natural disaster, but in the compassionate care of people acting in God's name.

Conclusion

I suppose sometimes God acts loudly, with fire and earth-shaking force, but not usually. If you're looking for the Hollywood God of the spectacular event and loud, pounding noise, you'll probably need to go to the movies.

Instead, look for God in the silence, the stillness, the quiet compassionate worker behind the scenes who never makes the evening news.

Sometimes, to hear the still, small voice of God we need to break down the walls of noise, busyness and activity, and let in the sound of sheer silence.

Amen

© Richard J. Henderson 2007