God is in the whisper

During the past week, the tree trimmers have been working on the huge oak trees that surround my house. The one out back, which I believe is actually two trees, was so overgrown that it was difficult to see the branches.

The crew chief came over one morning to talk with me, and as we stood gazing up at the majestic tree, he raised his hand and swept it across the landscape of the tree, as if to illustrate the words he was about to say. He said, "the breeze will be able to come through the branches now, and it will be much better for the tree." I loved that image, and the beautiful language he used to describe the art of what his crew had just accomplished.

I thought of this image of the breeze the other morning as I was re-watching the amazing film Into Great Silence. One of the first scriptures used in the film is from 1 Kings. It says that Elijah was told,

“Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Sheer Silence. Other translations say Gentle Whisper, Still Small Voice. I kind of like the idea of Gentle Breeze Through the Oak Tree. All of the deadwood pruned away so that the voice of God can be heard.