June 05 - Keeping the Faith

I love the movie Keeping the Faith.  The plot sounds like a bad joke – a Rabbi, a Priest and a karaoke machine.  But it’s a story of commitment.  Everyone falls in love with the same girl – including the Priest.  He goes to a senior priest, wondering if, due to these strong feelings, he should resign. Father Havel, tells him –

“The truth is you can never tell yourself there is only one thing you could be. If you are a priest or if you marry a woman it's the same challenge. You cannot make a real commitment unless you accept that it's a choice that you keep making again and again and again.”

I thought of this movie when I was reading 2 Kings Chapter 2 this week.  Elijah is about to be taken from the earth and he is travelling with Elisha, another prophet.  First in Bethel, then in Jericho, then in Jordan, Elijah says to Elisha “Stay here.”  Each time Elisha replies, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” (v 2, 4, 6).

It is not often in life when we get these moments to affirm our commitments.  Our commitment to our partner, to our church, to our family, to God.  Instead we often travel along the path and can feel like life is just happening to us.  “We just fell out of love,” we might say.  Or “I just found I didn’t have faith anymore.”

Perhaps Elijah knew that Elisha needed these moments of choice – of commitment – so he continually gave them to him.  I think I do.  I need to sometimes say out loud “I’m committed to this relationship, this friendship.”  “I’m committed to God, to this faith.”

If there is a commitment which you are struggling to keep today, if you keep finding yourself dreaming of a different life which leaves behind the commitments you have made, then maybe today is a good day to say out loud “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave…”