Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is it you, you troubler of Israel?’ He answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, November 7, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
I love this exchange. Ahab cuts right to the chase, calling Elijah out as a rabble-rouser. Is it you, o thorn in my side? O pain in my backside? O speaker of truth that I don’t want to hear? To which Elijah responds, Nonsense. Any trouble around here is your own darn fault, and I’m holding you to it! It’s a no-holds-barred confrontation that turns spectacularly violent shortly afterwards. And while I don’t advocate the mass murder of the priests of Ba’al or anyone at all period, there is something to be said for this kind of direct communication. It lets everyone know exactly where they stand. No game-playing. From that starting point, it’s easier to work to some kind of resolution.
Personally I have a history of conflict avoidance. I don’t like when people get irritated or stressed out or ruffled. I’m a lifelong peacemaker—but not in the best sense of the word. My peacemaking was about making conflicts go away, not actually solving them. Solving conflicts means bringing them into the light, allowing people to have their feelings, listening to all sides, and taking action to actually change things. I would have been a lousy Old Testament prophet.
These days I work toward Elijah’s kind of clarity and honesty. If I witness something that needs confronting, I confront it, no matter how uncomfortable it makes me. It’s not easy. But it’s definitely worth it.
Do I avoid conflict? How can I become willing to step up to help solve problems?
