Looking in the Mirror

When the final flicker of the fire of God licked up the last drop of water from the altar on Mt. Carmel, Elijah called all the watchers of Israel together, "Seize the  prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape."  (I Kings 18:40)  In response to the word of the prophet, "...they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon, and killed them there."  (I Kings 18:40)  A lot of blood was shed that day.  No doubt the Hebrew watchers were participants in this dramatic act against the idol worship connected to Baal.

 

I wonder what these folks who were on the mountain witnessing the mighty work of God and who then joined Elijah in doing away with those who had been leading the people in the worship of Baal did when they got home.  Surely, they told the story of what happened to anyone who would listen.  But, did they do anything with the carved wooden idols in their homes?  Were they content with the slaughter of the prophets of Baal, or did that act cause them to look more closely at how rooted the false worship was in their lives?  Grandiose were their actions on the mountain, but did they make the simple choices at home which cleansed their homes and spoke of a changed heart?

 

Most of us know it is easy to do the external things which speak of our revulsion at sin in our midst.  It is easy to point in judgment to the bad choices of others.  It is easy to identify the bigotry, prejudice, and unresolved anger in those around us, but looking honestly in the mirror is often an entirely different thing.  It is easy to call the sinner a sinner until we see the one staring back at us in our reflection.  Nothing really changes until there is change in the person in the mirror.  Without that change, everything out there always remains the same.