There are several strands that run through Elijah’s dramatic life that formed what might be called a “rope of hope” for him. One apparent strand is that due to the dire strait situations he found himself in, he ended up being someone who needed to travel. Hence, he was a journeyer. He found himself having to journey east, then north, and eventually southwest some 300 miles on foot. His story takes him in a fairly short period of time from his home to the countries of what are today known as Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Both of Ferdinand Bol’s artistic depictions of Elijah are in Egypt’s vast Sinai Desert. However, not only does Elijah journey geographically, the story of his life is one of him journeying spiritually as well. Each difficult life experience leads him toward seeing more and more of the Divine Artist’s care and compassion for him. Like Elijah, each of us are on different spiritual journeys, where we all have had different paths to take and tales to tell as a result. I love that line in one of the late 19th century Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh’s early reflections, before his decision to become a full-time artist. He wrote, “We are [all] pilgrims - our life is a long walk or journey from earth to Heaven.”
Another strand running through Elijah’s life is hardship; his journeys are full of seemingly insurmountable challenges. As a result of the honest glimpse of his life that we are given, he is not put up on a mythical high pedestal. In Ferdinand Bol’s painting and drawing, we are invited to enter into Elijah’s emotional state of mind. We see him tremendously vulnerable, while at a very low ebb. He is lying down under a tree, while on the run, out in the middle of nowhere. He is deeply afraid, lonely, fatigued, and depressed. In the story, his internal anguish is so great and his despair so profound, that he even cries out to his Creator to take his life. At his lowest point, feeling emotional collapse, the pain no longer seems bearable. It is his sense of desperation that gives him the energy to walk several hundred miles on foot to Mt. Sinai, where he hopes to find divine help.
Elijah’s experience is a reminder of life’s unexpected suffering and challenges. In the midst of our life journeys, we are all guaranteed that life will present many hardships. Our life journeys will take us all through some desolate “wilderness-like” experiences. As the old African American song goes, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.” And of course, no one really knows the trouble any of us have seen, or will see. Like Elijah, each and every one of us will experience in life what will seem like an emotional or spiritual desert.
However, Elijah at the same time becomes for us a reminder of divine comfort, as this is another strand that runs throughout his life. As Ferdinand Bol depicts in his painting, while Elijah is in a state of despair, an “angel” comes to comfort him, bringing him bread and water. I love how Ferdinand Bol visually portrays Elijah with his eyes closed, and not yet even aware of the angel’s presence. Elijah was clearly not expecting it. In fact, even when it was right in front of him, he wasn’t attentive as to how the help he cried out for was being presented to him.
The story tells us that he was given a cake of bread baked on hot stones. Bread is frequently used in ancient literature as a metaphor for the very sustenance of life. So, Elijah’s story is in effect an invitation to experience the security and safety of being dependent on the Divine Artist, our beautiful Creator. Throughout the story of Elijah’s life journey, we see him over and over again being provided food, water, protection, shelter, comfort and encouragement. His life is essentially a story of learning that dependence on his Creator was where his real protection and help was to be found.
Hence, the primary strand running throughout Elijah’s life is his decision to live in a continual state of dependency on his Creator, regardless of the despair he experienced. For as the angel says in the story to Elijah, “Otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” This sense of dependence is really the essence of our relationship with our Creator. It is the idea of relying on the Divine Artist for our well-being, regardless of our state of being.
I am reminded of the English author J.R.R. Tolkien’s magnificent fantasy novels in his The Lord of the Rings trilogy, in which the narrative is all about journeying. The story tells of a bread called Lembas, that was used for long journeys by elves. Lembas, which literally meant “Waybread" or “journey bread,” was a delicious honey-flavor bread that has amazing powers to both sustain travelers and even bring healing to the wounded or the sick. Just one little piece can sustain someone the whole day. I love his description of this life-giving bread. Tolkien writes, “And yet this waybread [Lembas] of elves had a potency that increased as travelers relied on it alone and did not mingle it with other foods.” (The Return of the King)
The story of Elijah reminds us that our Creator is at core about giving life, over and over again. As my Arab friends love to remind me, “God is closer to us than our jugular vein.” In the midst of Elijah’s profound discouragement, while in his weakest state emotionally and spiritually, he experienced afresh a beautiful display of his Creator’s tenderness, compassion and love.
Elijah’s life ends on a hopeful note. After all he had gone through, he ends up carrying out the most important role of his life. Which is why to this day, the Abrahamic traditions see Elijah as representing the divine hope that we are all promised on life’s journey, even when we feel we have had enough and cannot go on.