There was a time in the ancient Near East when a debate between four men was held. It was intense and passions ran high as many avenues of thought on the relationship between God and man were discussed. The debate centred on one man, Job, who had at one time been very prosperous, and who had held a high position as counsellor and judge in his community before being reduced to total poverty, having suffered the loss of property and children and who had been stricken with a severe illness that was likely to end in death.
The venue for the debate was not auspicious or salubrious. It was the town tip where the residue of animal dung was taken to be burned. It was there that outcasts were wont to gather, and it was there that Job in his agony went to sit among the ashes. A young man, Elihu, entered the discussion uninvited, stating that he felt constrained to protest some of the things that he had heard. His biggest grievance was that in his view, God had been misrepresented, and somebody had to speak on his behalf. This Reflection is a fascinating look at Elihu’s own spiritual journey, and his contribution to the debate.