So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said: "I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know. – Job 32:6

Today's Scripture Reading (July 29, 2021): Job 32

Back in the early days of the online interconnection that has become so normal now, a group of pastors decided to try out a new communication opportunity. They had discovered a video chat room, and they agreed to meet together to try it out at a specific time that evening. Today, most of us are probably tired of the various video chat options available to us. But then, it was a new and a unique opportunity to have a group of people from different places be able to meet and to actually see each other, something that at the time seemed impossible.

I have to admit that I found out about the meeting through a social media announcement. And since, apparently, anyone was invited, I decided to attend. I remember showing up virtually for the meeting. It was a little uncomfortable; it was evident that everyone else in the chat room knew each other from real-world conferences and conventions. I was the odd person out, knowing the various people involved only by reputation, or maybe the occasional Twitter conversation. The meeting had been going on for about twenty minutes, and I had sat silently just listening to the discussion. And then, one of the participants decided to take a roll call of the people who showed up at the meeting. Of course, I was part of the roll call. I still remember him getting to my name; "Garry, I recognize the name, but I don't know where from?" I told him that I was a "lurker" who only knew any of the other participants through social media conversations and was privileged just to listen to their discussion on this new medium. And with that, he moved on. I said nothing else. I had nothing really to say, but I drank in what the others were saying about theology and the church.

 A conversation has been taking place between Job and his three friends; Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. But those are not the only people involved in the conversation. There is also a lurker who has been sitting in the background, silently listening to the proceedings. Often, Elihu is thought to be connected with the other three friends of Job, but others aren't so sure. Elihu is not pleased with the answers of any of the participants in the discussion. In fact, Elihu became very angry with both Job and his friends (Job 32:2-3).

And so, as the conversation between Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar concludes, it is the silence that takes over, Elihu can no longer restrain himself. He was young, and so he did not claim to have the wisdom of his older friends. He was also fearful, intimidated by those who were speaking, and so as the conversation raged, he had remained silent. But then, his anger boiled over, and Elihu could maintain his silence no longer.

The lurker had to speak. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Job 33