A favorite Biblical story is found in 1 Kings 18 and 19. There we read of how the Prophet Elijah confronts Ahab and Jezebel with a challenge that will prove the power of God over and against their idolatrous ways. After proving his point, Elijah fears for his life and runs off to hide in a cave. After a time, an angel comes and draws him out of the cave at which point he is gifted with a vision, 1 Kings 19:11-12:
βAnd lo, the Lord passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind β an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake β fire; but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire β a soft murmuring sound (βStill Small Voiceβ).β
And it was in that βsoft murmuring soundβ (that βstill small voiceβ) which Elijah heard rising up from the depth of his soul that he found God, the reason to leave the cave to further pursue his mission.
That story is so meaningful to me because it provides us with a powerful lesson regarding how we, in the midst of our own current challenge, can not only survive, but thrive.
As different as our situation might be, so is it the same. We need not look far to see how everything in which we believed and the manner in which we lived has been called into question. Like Elijah, we did what we had been told was right and good. We were not perfect, but we know that we tried our best. And this is what we get?
Well, βwhat we getβ depends on whether we heed the lesson Elijah learned, the lesson that enabled him to carry on.
The lesson is that God is not out there in the sickness or the death or the uncertainty regarding whether life will ever be the same: Not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire. No! God is found in the efforts of the truck drivers and grocery store employees and the doctors and nurses and the police and the fire crews and the people who are quietly but purposefully enabling us to carry on with some semblance of hope for the future. God is found in the manner in which we are all, from the depths and silence of our own βcaves,β beginning to listen to that still small voice within that is reminding us of what really is important in life, what we can/should do without, and enabling us to have our own βElijah momentβ so that we will be ready, when it is time, to further pursue our mission.
In Hebrew, there is a word that is sometimes translated as awe/faith and sometimes as fear. What is the difference? Fear is when we allow what is out there to consume us. Faith is when we listen to the still small voice within encouraging and empowering us to embrace what is out there and make it our own. Elijah had his βmomentβ because he had faith, and did what he knew he had to. Can we?
Photos: 20+ famous people who came to Tucson
From Ernest Hemingway toΒ Betty White, here are some times famous people visited Tucson in decades past, with photos from archives of the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen.
For more historical Tucson photos, subscribe to the weekly Tucson Time Machine newsletter here:Β http://tucne.ws/time.
Joe Namath and Ann-Margaret
New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath, left, and actress Ann-Margaret arrived at Tucson International Airport on April, 10, 1970, and were gree…
Ralph Nader
Famous consumer advocate Ralph Nader speaks at the University of Arizona in 1979.Β
Nat "King" Cole
Singer and entertainer Nat "King" Cole and Arizona Gov Ernest W. McFarland exchange autographs while at the Tucson Municipal Airport on May 3,…
John F. Kennedy
Senator John F. Kennedy at the Sunday Evening Forum, sponsored by the Catalina Methodist Church in Tucson on Feb. 24, 1958. Kennedy spoke befo…
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in 1958.Β
James Arness
Actor James Arness from the "Gunsmoke" television series, compares boot sizes with Texas Ranger Capt Clint Peoples while in Tucson on January …
Isaac Stern
Violin virtuoso Isaac Stern tuning his violin in April 1979. He performed in a benefit recital for the Tucson Symphony Society.Β
Herbie Hancock
Jazz innovator, writer, performer Herbie Hancock played for 1,300 people at the Temple of Music and Art in 1979.Β
George H.W. Bush
Ambassador George H.W. Bush speaks at a press conference at the Arizona Inn in 1973. Bush was U.S. President during the First Gulf War.Β
Betty White
On May 3, 1988, Betty White visited the Reid Park Zoo while filming a television promotion for the Tucson Zoological Society. Above, Steve McC…
Garry Marshall
Hollywood television producer, Garry Marshall in Tucson, in 1979. He wrote and produced the TV series "Happy Days" and "Mork and Mindy."
Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn in Tucson for a Tucson Press Club event. Date Unknown.Β
Duke and Duchess of Windsor
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor from Great Britain arrive in Tucson for a stay at the Arizona Inn on March 1, 1959.Β
Bob Hope
Hollywood star Bob Hope trying to get the upper hand with an extra long bat during Cleveland Indians Spring training in Tucson on March 5, 194…
Billy Joel
The "Piano Man," Billy Joel, performs at the Tucson Community Center on November 14, 1978.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross performing at McKale Center on October 3, 1983.
Ansel Adams
Legendary landscape photographer Ansel Adams talks to an interviewer during his Tucson visit in 1983. UA's Center for Creative Photography is …
Ernest Hemingway and Waldo Peirce
Writer Ernest Hemingway with longtime friend and notable painter, Waldo Peirce, in the Baghdad Room at the Tucson Inn in Tucson, Ariz., on Mar…
Billy Idol
Rock star Billy Idol made an appearance at the Tucson Community Center Arena on May 5, 1987. Opening for Idol that night was The Cult.Β
