2 Kings 2:11 “as they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”
The winner of the best picture award at the 54th Academy Awards presented on March 29, 1982 (my son’s first birthday) was Chariots of Fire. If you’ve never seen it you’ve missed something special. The film begins at the funeral service of Harold Abrahams who competed in and won a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. In the background the choir sings the hymn Jerusalem which is an anthem of the British people often sung at important national events. You may have heard it at the most resent royal wedding. It includes the line “Bring me my Bow of burning gold; bring me my Arrows of desire: Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold! Bring me my Chariot of fire!” (See the connection?). The song was made in the early 1900’s but the words were taken from a poem by William Blake written in the early 1800’s. This in turn was inspired by the passage in 2 Kings cited above as well as 2 Kings 6:17. The bible story became a poem became a song became a movie. This is just one example of the way the scriptures continue to live throughout the ages and impact people through unexpected avenues. The scriptures are alive because they live in and through us. They are not just words on a page but the way God works in the world. This week, what chariots of fire is God bringing into the world through you?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 