Effortless Mastery

Today we have the unusual pairing of God appearing to Elijah on Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19) with Christ walking on water (Matthew 14).

Why the pairing?

God commands Elijah to ‘go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’

He soon discovers that God is not in the form of a mighty wind, an earthquake, a fire. No, rather God is in ‘a voice of silence.’

Too many translations weaken the expression into ‘a still, small voice of silence,’ something that can do no harm. But it must stand in all its self-contradiction.

The experience is not one of weakness or gentleness, but one of effortless mastery, which needs no further assertion (Henry Wansborough, OSB).

Silence speaks with effortless mastery.

Jesus himself acts with effortless mastery:

He makes the disciples cross the sea. The crowd he dismisses. He climbs the mountain to be with his Father.

In the fourth watch of the night (3am-6am) he walks on water.

He speaks with authority, ‘Courage! I AM! Do not be afraid.’

We are invited to experience the effortless mastery of God – in times of silence and stillness, and in times of darkness and chaos:

‘Lord, save me!’

Amen.