Flight of Ichabod

<p>In <em>The Legend of Sleepy Hollow</em>, Washington Irving tells of Ichabod Crane, a schoolteacher who seeks to marry a beautiful young woman named Katrina. Key to the story is a headless horseman who haunts the colonial countryside. One night Ichabod encounters a ghostly apparition on horseback and flees the region in terror. It&rsquo;s clear to the reader that this &ldquo;horseman&rdquo; is actually a rival suitor for Katrina, who then marries her.</p> <p>Ichabod is a name first seen in the Bible, and it too has a gloomy backstory. While at war with the Philistines, Israel carried the sacred ark of the covenant into battle. Bad move. Israel&rsquo;s army was routed and the ark captured. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of the high priest Eli, were killed (1 Samuel 4:17). Eli too would die (v. 18). When the pregnant wife of Phinehas heard the news, &ldquo;she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains&rdquo; (v. 19). With her last words she named her son Ichabod (literally, &ldquo;no glory&rdquo;). &ldquo;The glory has departed from Israel,&rdquo; she gasped (v. 22). &nbsp;</p> <p>Thankfully, God was unfolding a much larger story. His glory would ultimately be revealed in Jesus, who said of His followers, &ldquo;I have given them the glory that you [the Father] gave me&rdquo; (John 17:22).</p> <p>No one knows where the ark is today, but no matter. Ichabod has fled. Through Jesus, God has given us His very glory!</p>