Scripture: 1 Kings 18:20-40
In this story of a contest between gods on Mount Carmel, Elijah throws down the gauntlet to the people of Israel – and to us all: “If
the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.”
Indeed: What kind of god are we willing to live for? An idol: a person, place,
or institution we give our whole lives to even to the point of compulsion,
obsession … addiction? Or are we willing to live for the One over the many: the God of Exodus
liberation, the prophets’ justice, the Jesus of love? A no-fire-in-the-belly, limp-along god of scarcity such as Baal: an impotent god of famine in
the land? Or the God of Elijah and outreach witnesses such as Umbrella Initiatives* and Bread for the World we celebrate in Worship today: the true God of fiery abundance, living not in the problem, but in the solution?
Israel
was seduced then as we are seduced today. The idolatry Baal offered the people of Israel then is the
idolatry of our nation today. It’s an idolatry known as Security Through Fear.
Security through fear. An idolatry embraced
and promoted by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel through their court prophets of
Baal. An idolatry embraced and promoted in every generation by what the Apostle
Paul called “the powers and principalities” – seeking peace at any price,
meaning a few have the peace while the many pay the price.
As with every idol, security begins as a
good; Social Security is a prime example. But when a value like security gets promoted
to the best … there’s a frightening price that must be paid. And that price is
idolatry’s telltale heart: Fear.
Security Through Fear our Presidential
candidates have eagerly fed on, and have then fed back to our eager ears: “National
security!” “Homeland security!” “More jobs!” “Middle class!” In order for us to
be made secure as a people, they say, we will make you safe from something. Safe from big
government. Safe from Wall Street. Safe from weapons of mass destruction – weapons,
that is, in hands other than ours.
Safe from prophets who would have us worship
and rely upon a different God. A God not of fearful security, but a God of faithful
abundance. A lavish God who says to all of creation, “I have given you enough
to live well on, my children. Now go and distribute generously and widely.”
Nowhere can I find in our scriptures, “Be
secure!” Our scriptures testifying to our God of abundance simply do not
celebrate the value of security – especially the security of false prophets, as
we have seen. What our scriptures are
long on are two quite contrasting words: “Fear not!”
The
choice is ours, my friends: Security through fear … or, freedom from fear. The way of
Baal: Security of a nation from the rest of God’s world, rallying the wagons, closely
aligned with the powers-that-be. Or, the way of God: The boldness of Elijah
which is freedom from fear, overcoming famine with the fire of faith.
The choice is ours: What kind of god are
we willing to live for …
- One who advances security through fear? Or, one who promises freedom from fear?
- A god of coercive protection for some? Or a God freely supportive of all?
- A god of scarcity, by whom we declare a war on terror? Or a God to whom we can reach out in trust?
*Umbrella Initiatives was co-founded and is directed by two Bethesda Presbyterian members: Yenny Delgado & Dr. Robert Rivers.
