Pneuma Inspiration

[IMAGE of ‘Elijah’ in the mouth of the cave]

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I wonder, who are your heroes of faith? Do you have any? And should any of us have any?

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Idolising anyone is a dangerous business. Those in the limelight topple off their pedestals with ease and frequency. And anyway, God is clear about idols. No. End of story.

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But perhaps we can admire people and be inspired by their faith in action while recognising that they are flawed and pale reflections of God in whose image they are made.

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Biblical heroes of faith are no exception to this pattern of imperfection. The advantage they have is that we know the whole story, or at least nothing new is likely to come to light. With living heroes, the story is still unfolding with the risk of disappointment just around the corner.

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The prophet Elijah is for me a biblical hero of faith precisely because he is flawed and because his faith ebbs and flows. This is real and hopeful. An encouragement that we can serve the Lord in our own inadequacy.

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I love the audacious faith of soaking the Mount Carmel altar in water and then asking for God’s fiery breath to burn the sacrifice. And God comes in fire. And I love the fainthearted withdrawal to the cave (1 Kings 19:9-18, 10th Sunday after Trinity) where Elijah is spent and hopeless. And this time God is not in the fire. Elijah discerns that God’s presence is being revealed differently. He only comes out to the mouth of the cave at the point where God is present in the still, small voice, the gentle whisper, the sound of soft breathing. Pneuma. Inspiration.

Thank you, Elijah, for modelling finding God in the highs and the lows.

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Thanks be to God who meets us where we are and answers our needs according to his all-surpassing knowledge and love of us.

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Sarah Mortimer