Earthquakes and fires are great news items. Both visual and written news stations provide up-to-date coverage of these events.
As I write, parts of Europe, notably France and Spain, are working to control major fires.
Similarly, earthquake recovery efforts are underway in Venezuela and Japan.
At times, family and community stories include a fire and/or an earthquake. The Ballantyne Department Store fire of 1947 forms part of the story of the city and people of Christchurch.
So too do the major earthquakes that struck that city in September 2010 and February 2011. The consequences of, and recovery from, such events take time for individuals and communities alike.
Both earthquakes and fires are also noisy. So is a very strong wind.
An event known by many as “the Wahine Disaster” involved the sinking of an inter-island ferry in April 1968. The ferry was caught in a violent cyclonic storm and foundered at the entrance to Wellington Harbour. Fifty-three people lost their lives.
Have you ever heard a major news station give coverage of a gentle breeze? Even a weather report ignores such an event.
A gentle breeze happens almost silently, though there may be a little rattle from an unsecured window. An important feature of a gentle breeze is that you can leave your door ajar and your windows open.
This Sunday’s First Reading is taken from the First Book of Kings (19:9, 11–13) and recounts the prophet Elijah’s encounter with his God.
God was not in the mighty wind, nor in the fire, nor in the earthquake. Then came a gentle breeze, and Elijah “covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.”
Unfortunately, our text concludes at that point. What happens next is the important part: God asks Elijah, “What are you doing here?”
All who know the story will know that Elijah has in fact run away and is in hiding. So what does God say? “Go, return.”
The moral of the story is this: when you reckon you have found a safe hiding place and are letting the gentle morning breeze catch your face, be very cautious.