The story of Elijah and Elisha illuminates the intergenerational nature of our work and faith. The Spirit moves through us from generation to generation. Mentorship is offered. Leadership transitions.

We too are part of such stories in our own time and place. My heart is stirred up remembering the ancestors who now live in picture frames and on the edges of my memory. It was in ordinary walks by their side where I was taught the gentle and powerful lessons of what it means to be human.

Elisha begs me to seek out the elders in my life before they cross the river or their chariots swing low. These are the days to ask for stories and histories, to offer thanks, to listen, to be formed and transformed, and to hold their hands and feel the Spirit move between us.

When Elijah has gone, Elisha picks up the mantle and continues the work. With holy gratitude, may we each pick up the mantle that lies before us, even if it is just for a short while. Let us run our fingers across each stitch. Breathe in the smells that still linger from the ones we loved. Notice the holes and recall the stories of the places it has been. Pull it over our shoulders feeling the weight of history. Find a needle and thread and mend the tears. Give it new stains and carry it on new paths until, one day, we take it off again and lovingly wrap it around someone younger and wiser.