Elijah and his letter.
"'But now bring me a harpist.' While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha and he said: 'This is what the Lord says....'" 2 Kings 3:15-16
There is something about music that puts us in contact with the spiritual realm. Several times in the Old Testament music is tied to prophecy or a miraculous happening. Here, Elisha demands a harp and proceeds to announce what the Lord has said to him as harps play behind him. I can see how music touches the soul of man. Why do we trying to run away from this in the tradition I was raised in? Lord knows.
Today's reading includes the mysterious letter to Jehoram, king of Judah, from Elijah. You know, the Elijah who is no longer with us. That's just freaky, isn't it? You know how you can program email to send something days or months from now? I've always thought it would be fun to set something up to email after you were dead about a y ear. Oops, there goes my surprise. But think of the things you could say to weird people out? Tell them you're still watching them or you dropped in the other night. Let the preacher know what you think of his sermons...really. Tell your wife and family how much you love them...just one more time. Would people take something sent from the dead any more seriously than if it came from the living? I wonder.
I wonder, too, what Jehoram thought when he received Elijah's letter? Probably thought it was a ruse. Someone else had written it under Elijah's name or Elijah had written it long ago (even that would be prophetic given its subject matter). Why didn't Elijah appear to Jehoram or speak to him in a dream? It would be harder to dispute, right? Or perhaps even miracles require the faith of the observer. Otherwise they'll be explained away.
Then, again, someone else sent a letter after His time on earth was done. And that worked out pretty well. Lord knows.
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