pansies in the pulpit

Back in the day, to have called anyone a "pansy" or a "sissy," simply meant that he was timid, cowardly.  In that famous movie The Wizard of Oz, the character shown in the above image was referred to as the "Cowardly Lion".  It is fitting, for my present purpose, that he is shown posing amidst a setting of flowers: the whole scene reminds me of a lot of churches I have seen -- with some or other "cowardly lion" standing at the pulpit, surrounded by bouquets of flowers, professedly preaching the Gospel.

the spirit of Elijah

The above image may fairly well represent how most people--who know anything about the prophet Elijah--perceive him, in their imagination.  Elijah called down fire from Heaven.  Elijah slew 850 prophets of Baal and of the "groves".  Elijah was bodily taken up to Heaven by a chariot of fire in a whirlwind.  But there was another aspect of that charismatic prophet's personality, which was no less a part of the man he was...