Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, ‘The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.’ They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, November 5, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Elisha had big shoes to fill. It’s helpful that his first act after picking up Elijah’s dropped mantle was to part a river and cross it. Not something the average Joe can just do. So the other prophets knew at a glance that Elisha was the next one to follow. And follow they did.
In our lives it’s not always so simple. The various leaders at the various levels in our lives change over time. There might be folks out there who have led with integrity and been good for our communities, and whom we’d just as soon have continue to lead forever. But they retire, or die, or have a term limit of some sort, and we wonder, a little fearfully, whether the person who replaces them will be as good. We have to just do our best to make a good choice, and then see what happens, whether it’s in the election booth or the pastoral call committee or just picking someone to lead our book club for the week.
Unlike with Elisha’s definitive selection and subsequent leadership, with the other prophets literally bowing down to him, we get more of a say in the processes of life even after a new leader is selected. We are called to continue to support our leaders, sometimes even calling them out if we need to, offering our opinions and insights. It’s a participatory thing. And it definitely involves prayer for discernment and insight.
How do I know which potential leader is the right one at the time? What is my role following their selection?
