Storms of Life
36 They left the crowd and took him in the boat just as he was. Other boats followed along.
37 Gale-force winds arose, and waves crashed against the boat so that the boat was swamped. 38 But Jesus was in the rear of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. They woke him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re drowning?”
39 He got up and gave orders to the wind, and he said to the lake, “Silence! Be still!” The wind settled down and there was a great calm. 40 Jesus asked them, “Why are you frightened? Don’t you have faith yet?”
41 Overcome with awe, they said to each other, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
Mark 4:36-41 (CEB)
Have you ever found yourself out in the middle of an open field or, worse, out in the open waters, then, out of the blue, a storm cloud quickly blows in with thunder and lightning? Panic begins to overtake you, and your hyper-vigilance kicks in. On the ground, you can run, and hopefully, there is shelter nearby. On the water, with waves crashing and the wind blowing, you are tossed about from wave to wave without any place to go.
It was so dark this morning. I knew I needed to rush to get Soren ready for school and leave in time before the storm came. Thankfully, the clouds warned me what was to come. Sometimes, that warning does not come, and you are trapped. Where do you go? Who do you turn to when you are stuck in the storm?
When the storms of life come, we look to the above scripture. We hear the voice of God speak to us, and Jesus says, “Silence, be still!” Our default is to respond with, “What the hell do you mean? How can there be silence and how can you control storms?” Yet, there was silence and amazement. All was still.
One of the many lessons we can learn is to be silent in the storm’s life. We already live with the cacophony of voices, which distracts us from living lives of hopefulness. Can we be still in those moments? Be still and not be reactive when the discordant geist of the world swirls in our heads?
Learning to listen for the only voice that matters and the only voice that calms the seas is where peace abides.
Maybe if we can learn to be silent and still trust that God is with us, we can hear God leading us to be a people of peace, justice, hope, and love. This is what the power of selfless love can do in this fragmented world.
Zac