Year B, Pentecost 2, Tuesday

Inspired by 1 Kings 18:17-40

“So they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, crying, ‘O Baal, answer us!’  But there was no voice, and no answer.  They limped about the altar that they had made.  At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud!  Surely he is a god; either he is meditating, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.’  Then they cried aloud and, as was their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until the blood gushed out over them.  As midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response.”  1 Kings 18:26-29

False gods are frequently more comfortable to deal with than the God of Christianity.  False gods don’t expect much of us, are conveniently absent when we want them to be, and affirm and justify everything about us.  They fit perfectly into the god-box we’ve fashioned for them, perfectly match the job description we’ve created for them, and are very pliable when it comes to changing the rules to fit our changing circumstances and preferences.

Unfortunately, they never seem to be there when we really need them.  And for some reason, that actually surprises us.

We like our idea of what God should be so much that we manage to convince ourselves that the god of our imaginings is the God of reality.  But the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit does not bow to our will, does not abide by our rules, and keeps his own council regarding expectations.

But the one true God is also more powerful than we can imagine, more just than we can imagine, and more merciful than we can imagine.  The one true God is not limited by our imaginations, and does not carry the human flaws that all our false gods are prone to.  The one true God is the only God worthy of our trust and our worship.

Let us pray.  God of truth, you alone are God.  Open our eyes to the many falsehoods that we worship, that we may know the truth of your grace.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.