1 Kings 19: 1-15a, Moving Out of Our Caves

1 Kings 19: 1-15a

Vs. 11-13, “The answer came: ‘Go stand on the mount before the Lord.’ For the Lord was passing by: a great and strong wind came rending mountains and shattering rocks before him, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a low murmuring sound…Then there came a voice.”

How often do we retreat to the caves of silence, withdrawal, preoccupation with media or projects, the invisible walls between us and others or between us and our larger Self? In today’s passage, the prophet Elijah had retreated to a cave in fear for his life. We, like Elijah, get afraid. We fear that interaction with others or some not fully known part of our selves (i.e., feelings, desires, affects) will destroy us. So, we retreat; we numb, go unconscious, get confused, stay with unknowing.

The beauty of Biblical stories is they remind us of psychological as well as spiritual truths. The way out of the fear and out of the cave is standing before the Self/God Within. The Self/God Within always seeks us out and calls us to reconnect and to listen. This requires moving out of the caves, beyond the invisible emotional and mental walls that separate us from our Inner Divine Spirit and other people.

When Elijah is called to stand before the Lord, he witnesses an earthquake and a fire and a low murmuring sound. The voice of God is not in these acts of destruction, but Elijah must witness them before hearing the voice of God. Symbolically, the earthquake and fire represent phases of transformation.

We have all experienced symbolic earthquakes. The moments when the ground of our beliefs, ideas, self perceptions, ways of interacting, and our outer world relationships have shifted. Familiar, comfortable, and old ways of being with ourselves and others have shattered. The moments of symbolic fire occur when our anger or passions rage; we know something must change internally and externally. We act differently; we give up the former masks or roles and we are more real about who we are.

Our willingness to stand and see the elements of transformation at work in us and around us precedes hearing the voice of God. We must face the necessary destruction of what is in order to hear the voice of God Within and have new life.

What are your caves? How do the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual walls between you and the Self/God Within look? Where and how do they appear between you and other people? Open to hear the Inner Divine Spirit calling you to move out of the caves and to see what needs to be seen. Ask for courage to withstand the earthquakes and fires of transformation so you may hear the voice of God Within.