Arrogance

                  The alternative Hebrew Bible assigned for this Sunday is 2 Kings 5:1-14. It tells the story of a great military leader of a country neighboring Israel named Naaman. Naaman’s issue is that while he is an amazing leader he also has terrible skin lesions that prevent him from living a happy life and being a full member of his community. One day a slave girl from Israel tells him of a great healer and prophet in her home country who could heal him. Naaman gathers up a great gift for the prophet and goes to see him. The prophet, Elisha, doesn’t even come out of his house but instead sends a messenger to tell him that if he washes himself in the Jordan seven times he will be healed. Naaman is incensed and insulted that Elisha wouldn’t do him the honor of talking to him in person and at first refuses to wash in the Jordan because are not the waters of his home just as good as the Jordan? Eventually his servants convince him to wash in the Jordan which does in fact heal him.

                  The story of Naaman reminds me of a modern parable. In the parable a devout Christian man is living alone when he hears an alert of a big storm coming that will cause massive flooding and warns the people of his community to evacuate. The storm comes and he is offered a ride but he refuses, the flooding starts and someone in a canoe offers him help but again he refuses, and finally a helicopter comes and sends him a ladder but still he refuses. Each and every time he refuses the man professes his faith in God who he knows will save him. Eventually the storm and the flooding kill the man. He goes up to heaven and God is there to greet him. The man angrily questions God about how he could let something so horrible happen to someone so devout and why didn’t he save him? God responds “But I did.” God points to the radio warning, the car, the canoe and the helicopter as God intervening to save the man but he refused at every turn.

                  In the United States this week we will celebrate the 4^th of July. The birth of the United States of America as it declared its independence from Great Britain and its’ horrible King. I’m sure in speeches at parades, fairs, and on television many a speaker will extoll the many virtues of the nation. Even going so far as to call it the greatest country in the world.  It can be hard to believe those words sometimes though. If you just open your favorite news source its sure to be rife with stories of how this nation isn’t so great. Depressed Communities, irresponsible government members, people not able to get healthcare, crime, environmental disasters and on and on the list could go. I imagine we might be a little like Naaman from 2 Kings. Great in someways but sick and alone in so many others. Plenty of us might cry out to God or a prophet for answers to these issues and like Naaman think the answer could best be found in our own rivers. Our own American way. But what if the answers aren’t in the American way? What if the metaphorical healing we need can be found in a different place? The answers from a different community? What if like the man in the flood God is sending us warnings, cars, boats, and helicopters but we are refusing to listen? What if like Naaman we are just a bit arrogant?

Peace,

Corey