we are so Naamanesque

Naaman was a very successful and well placed dude that had a very ugly disease. There was a young, Spanglish sort of girl that worked for Naaman. She told him about a guy that she knew back home that she thought could cure him. It sounded like a great idea to Naaman so he went to his boss and asked for some time off. Since Naaman had an incredible track record, his boss gave him the time off and a bonus to help out with expenses.

Anyway, Naaman goes to see the guy in the foreign country. He walks up to the front door of the healer's office anticipating that he will be seen by the man himself, Elisha. Instead, Elisha sends word to Naaman that all he needs to do is go to the public bathing area (definitely not from America) and wash seven times. Naaman gets really ticked and starts walking away. He's all, "I came this far to see Elisha and he sends out his admin? I thought he would come out and personally see me and do his whole healing thing and make a big deal of curing the sick guy! Instead, he tells me to go bath in a public bathing area? For cryin' out loud, the public baths are ten times better where I'm from than they are here. Who's he kidding?" Naaman is beyond ticked now, he's in a rage.

Some of the people in his entourage catch up with him and try to talk some sense into Naaman because he's obviously lost it. One of his admins says, "Hey, think about it Naaman, you came all this way and were willing to do something extraordinary to get cured. Why aren't you willing to do something simple to get the same result?" Naaman is busted, so he goes to the public bathing area and washes seven times. On the seventh time, he is miraculously cured.

Naaman goes back to Elisha's place and Elisha meets with him this time. Naaman wants to pay Elisha for his trouble...very well. Elisha refuses payment. No biggie for Naaman. But, Naaman needs something to commemorate what just went down. Naaman asks for, and gets, some dirt to take home with him to build a memorial. After all, it was a spiritual moment for Naaman.

It was such a spiritual moment that changed the worldview of Naaman. He stopped worshipping the latest and greatest "designer" god. His life had been changed by the one true God and he made some huge adjustments in his lifestyle. He didn't throw away everything, just the stuff that got in the way of him having a relationship with God.

Why is it that when God offers a simple, mainstream, even boring solution to our predicament we often scoff at it? Why do we think we have to see a mediator when God wants to talk to us personally? Why is it that we have a problem with God when he meets our needs but not in a way that we expect or want? Why do we have such a sense of entitlement and expect that God's servants have to do things the way we want them to?

We are so Naamanesque.