Kahu's Manao

Keawala‘i Congregational Church
United Church of Christ (USA)

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
Sunday, June 27, 2010

The Rev. Kealahou C. Alika

“Pick Up the Mantle”
2 Kings2:1-2, 6-14 & Luke 9:51-62

‘Ahu‘ula or feathered cloaks were sacred insignia of the highest male chiefs of ancient Hawaii. Most were made from the tiny red feathers of the ‘i‘iwi and ‘apapane and the tiny black feathers of the ‘ö‘ö and mamo. Female chiefs of high rank wore feathered lei, but not feathered cloaks, as a sign of their rank. (Hawaiʻi: The Royal Isles, Roger G. Rose, Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, 1980, page 191)

Because the cloaks were restricted to the male chiefs of high rank the garments were made by men working under rigid ceremonial restrictions. The po‘e hahai manu or professional

bird hunters used sticky bird lime, nets and other devices to capture the birds. After plucking the feathers of the ‘ö‘ö and mamo, the birds were released.

However the ‘i‘iwi and ‘apapane were usually killed and then eaten since they would not have survived plucking. Once the feathers were collected and cleaned a dozen or so feathers were bound with the olona bast thread and then the clusters were tied in overlapping rows to the meshes of a netted foundation made from the twisted fibers of the olona.

It is said that over 500,000 feathers representing 80,000 to 90,000 birds were required to complete the all-mamo cloak of Kamehameha the Great. Feathered cloaks and capes ceased to be made by the middle of the 19th century when bird-catching and feather working skills disappeared. (Op. cit., page 194)

Today about 160 cloaks and capes have been located in museums and collections around the world. The largest collection is in the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. (Hawaiian Dictionary, Pukui & Elbert, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1986, page 9)

As robes of state and battle uniforms, Captain James King noted in 1779 that their “beauty and magnificence” were “perhaps equal to that of any nation in the world.” (Hawai‘i: The Royal Isles, Roger G. Rose, Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, 1980, page 191) Many of the chiefs wore their feather cloaks into battle and often these would become the spoils for the victor in case of death.

In time many of the older pieces were given away, sold to outsiders or lost. Sadly very few of the cloaks and capes, if any, were passed on to others within the ali‘i families.

Today the ‘ahu‘ula are seen in public ceremonies during the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo in the spring, the Kamehameha Day celebrations in the summer or the Aloha Week Festivals in the fall. All are made with the feathers of non-indigenous birds. They continue to be recognized as symbols of authority for the chiefs.

I have described the ‘ahu‘ula as a cloak. But the English language also makes reference to the word “mantle” as a synonym. Whether or not the cloak or mantle was passed on to members of a succeeding generation, the ‘ahu‘ula was seen as a symbol of authority.

Our reading from The Second Book of Kings is about another mantle, another symbol of authority that was passed on from the prophet Elijah to the prophet Elisha. Over the last two Sundays I’ve shared my mana‘o or thoughts with you about other readings from The Second Book of Kings.

Two weeks ago we looked at the story of Naboth’s vineyard - of how Jezebel orchestrated the demise and death of Naboth; of how her husband King Ahab was able to acquire the land; and of how the prophet Elijah confronted Ahab. We also looked at how Lili‘uokalani, Hawai‘i’s last constitutional monarch, was able to find solace and strength in the story of Naboth’s vineyard as she struggled over the loss of the nation of Hawai‘i to U.S. economic and military interests in the 1890s. In his confrontation with the King and in her appeal to President Cleveland and later to President McKinley, both Elijah and Lili‘uokalani sought justice – to make right a wrong.

Last week we looked at the story of Elijah’s encounter with God and discovered that God is sometimes found in the “sound of sheer silence.” We looked at how a young Hawaiian man named ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia was able to find solace and strength in the story of Elijah’s encounter.

Although ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia was not able to return to Hawai‘i as he had hoped, others came not long after he died to share the story of the good news of Jesus Christ. It is said that ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia was the first Hawaiian to become a Christian.

Within a generation the mantle of a life of service that ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia passed on to those who were in the first mission company to arrive in Kona in 1820 was passed on to Lili‘uokalani and countless others. Our story this morning from The Book of Second Kings is about how Elijah passed on the mantle of service to Elisha.

After Elijah encountered God in the deep stillness at Mt. Horeb, he passed through an area where he saw Elisha plowing a field with twelve teams of oxen. He threw his cloak or mantle – a symbol of his authority (1 Samuel 18:3-4) - on Elisha, an act commissioning Elisha to do the work of a prophet. (Seasons of the Spirit/Congregational Life, Logos Books, 2010, page 48)

Elisha followed Elijah and in today’s reading Elijah nears the end of his ministry. He and Elisha are on a journey to visit the shrines at Gilgal and Bethel and then make their way to the Jordan River. They are joined by a group of 50 others that the Bible refers to as the “company of prophets,” a group under Elijah’s leadership.

Elijah rolls up his mantle and strikes the water of Jordan River and in doing so recalls the action of Moses (Exodus 14:15-31) when the waters divided to allow Israel to escape slavery in Egypt. As a consequence Elijah and Moses are seen as the two great figures in Israel’s history.

Elisha courageously asks for a double share of Elijah’s spirit. A double share was the portion of the inheritance normally given to the firstborn and heir. Elisha desires this affirmation so he can carry on Elijah’s work.

A chariot of fire and horses appear and then Elijah is carried “to heaven” in a whirlwind. It is a bit of a stretch for many to imagine that such an event actually occurred. Elijah’s departure is cloaked in mystery. Some say it is more likely that Elisha had a “vision.”

Whatever the case may be it is said that Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle and went forward into his life as God’s prophet. He was able to part the Jordan River, a sign that he had inherited Elijah’s spirit.

Elisha was summoned by Elijah to leave his farm behind for a life of service as a prophet. Just as Elijah summoned Elisha, so it is that Jesus summons others to a life of service as his disciples.

In our reading from The Gospel According to Luke, Jesus and the disciples are also on a journey. They are on their way to Jerusalem. Along the way Jesus addresses the cost of picking up the mantle of discipleship in his name.

He cautions those who choose to follow him that other loyalties are to be set aside. There will be no turning back.

The mantle that Elijah passes on to Elisha was a symbol of his authority. Elisha actually picked up the mantle or cloak that had fallen from Elijah.

‘Ōpūkaha‘ia saw himself as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Although he was not able to return to Hawai‘i, his life of faith so inspired others that they took on the mantle of a life of service.

In the same way, Lili‘uokalani also took on the mantle of a life of service to the people of the Hawaiian nation. Such a life of service came at a great cost to both ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia and Lili‘uokalani. In them we see what we see in Elijah and Elisha and in Jesus and the disciples and that is the call for God’s justice and compassion.

Whether real or symbolic, cloaks and mantles are not magical. Rather, the authority with which they are associated comes from the power and presence of God’s Spirit. May we take up our mantle of ministry – to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with God. Amen.

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