Thursday, June 13, 2013

I Kings 19:8-15a(NRSV)

He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.
At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

The Mountains

1.
When I left for the conference
a cool breeze stirred through the dawn
as the leftovers from last night's storm
dressed the mountains in prayer shawls.

Arrived, I sit in this five-star suburban sanctuary
to the music of a well-meaning praise band.
Holy holy son of God pounds the drum set.
In the car Allison Krause was, if less visionary, more beautiful.
I suppose we need each other.

I can feel the mountains
where God was not in the wind,
and maybe not the song -
but it's okay.

Nor the fiery interruptions of that placard-wielding Christian/patriot mob
who sabotaged the Muslim goodwill meeting in Manchester last week.
Nor for a time anything we believe.
Fine.

But these are gentle folk,
and here I sit, ensconced.
Courtesy alone is enough to crack open the stained glass.

2.
I am glad that you were not in the wind
of these otherwise cocksure texts.
And for that amazing grace of not finding what we are looking for -
that in the holiest place, where there is no one to perform to,
not even Elijah can command you out of shaking rocks.

The speaker is now asking what I have to give to you,
that – oh yeah – we already have everything we need,
when out of the blue a young woman takes the mic for the clincher
and prays in something like Spanish
untranslated.
Oh well.

When God came there was nothing to hear.
Thanks be to God.

© 2013 Andy Gay