My youngest brother is a big Ohio State Buckeyes fan. He has great taste in sports. He also married a wonderful woman whom we may like even more than him. There is just one problem: she comes from a family of Michigan fans.
In our house growing up, we took that rivalry seriously enough that we rarely said the name of the state directly north of Ohio. We called it “TTUN”—That Team Up North. I had to wash my hands after typing Michigan, and now I may have to wash them again.
My brother and his wife have five children, which means their household has some important decisions ahead. When it comes to this rivalry, neutrality isn’t an option.
This Sunday, we’ll turn to one of the Old Testament’s most memorable scenes: Elijah’s confrontation with the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Many of us know how the contest ends. But as we read 1 Kings 18:20–40, I want us to pay attention to the people watching.
Elijah asks them, “If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” They don’t answer. They have tried to hold on to the Lord while also trusting Baal to provide what they need. That’s like rooting for both the Buckeyes and the Wolverines! The two beliefs are incompatible. The showdown on the mountain is about more than which prophet will prevail. It confronts a divided people with the question they have avoided.
Join us Sunday as we hear that question for ourselves and consider what it means to follow the God who answers.
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