"One Good Man, One Good Boat" - Gen. 6:9-22 - May 29, 2005

One evening my wife and I were dining out. We ate at a restaurant which has a reputation of serving generous portions of food. We decided to share one dinner between us, knowing that we would both go away full. When the waitress took our order you could see the displeasure in her facial expression. I’m sure she was thinking, "These people are cheap, there goes my tip."

Whenever you do something that is contradictory to what our culture understands as the "norm," you are very likely to be criticized or ridiculed. Noah was building an ark on dry land. He was doing what he believed God told him to do, but building a boat on dry land to withstand a great flood was not logical. No doubt he was ridiculed by his neighbors since his actions went against the mainstream.

What kind of a man builds an ark and risks the approval of his neighbors? Noah was a righteous man who "walked with God." People of faith are those who listen to what God wants and then act. Their actions frequently clash with what society deems as "normal."

The popular thing to do on Sunday mornings in our society is to sleep in. Let’s be honest, worship does not have a high priority for the masses. This morning, you are doing something that the majority of people in our society are not doing. In that respect you are like Noah, living out your faith.

Noah was directed to build the ark because society was corrupt. The Hebrew word in Genesis was shachat, which means "ruined" or "spoiled." You could say that during the time of Noah, the world was spoiled rotten. God had no choice but to rinse the world which had been polluted by humankind’s arrogance and neglect. Fortunately, God found one good man, Noah. He was chosen because he saw what others did not see and heard what others did not hear. He took a risk, planned and acted in spite of what others thought or believed.

Noah had extraordinary faith. He really went out on a limb to be faithful to God’s command. He built a boat, not a luxury liner or a cruise ship, but a boat. It was an ark specifically designed as a floating sanctuary for his family and the creatures of the earth. The ark would protect them from the oncoming flood waters and eventually take them to a new place where civilization would have the opportunity to start afresh.

In Malibu, California people are buying mobile homes on the coastline because of the great view. These mobile homes are selling for about $1,000,000. People have a passion for the sea. Noah was preparing for sea, but his floating sanctuary had very few amenities.

Imagine Noah and his family, cooped up with all kinds of animals. There was no room for the beasts to roam. It surely must have been noisy and dangerous, not to mention stinky. Noah had no motor or sails. His ark had to go with the currents and the wind. He was totally dependent on the sea to take him to a new home. It was a long, arduous journey.

History has a tendency to make the Noah’s Ark story cute and cozy. But, it was anything buy cozy on that ark. It was hard work and Noah had no idea of his final destination. All God promised Noah was that he would make a covenant with him. No land, no ranch, no farm, just a covenant. He and his family remained on the ark for 1 year and 10 days. Finally the waters abated and Noah and his family were free to leave the ark.

Noah’s hope was in God. He had no idea where he would end up or what he would find when he arrived. Nor, did he know how long it would take. He trusted God totally. It amazes me that Noah and his family were the only living human beings left on the planet following the flood. Imagine the loneliness and feelings of isolation as they drifted helplessly for over a year. There are times when life is like drifting in a vast ocean with no land in sight. The only thing that keeps us going is faith.

On July 22, 1966, a Japanese teenager set out across the Pacific Ocean for a solo voyage on a 30 foot yacht. On September 13, 1966, 14 year old Subaru Takahashi sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge, the youngest person ever recorded to make the 4,600 mile journey.

Midway through his journey the motor on his yacht quit. Five days later his battery died. He had to make the last 2,790 miles of his journey under "sail" power alone. Like Noah, who spent years building the ark, Takahashi spent months training for his journey. During the journey he experienced isolation. He said that his faith in the creator is what kept him going. The solitude of the journey warmed his soul and strengthened his resolve.

The story of Noah and the ark is a remarkable example of extraordinary faith. One good man with one good boat survived the great flood. Noah went against the grain, resisting the urge to cave in to society’s whims. His only hope was in God, depending totally on God to guide him to a new land.

Is your life like a floating sanctuary or are you consumed with building a personal empire? Are you doing what God wants for your life or are you listening to the voices of a polluted society? God gave the world a second chance in the days of Noah and God continues to give us a second chance through the forgiveness of Christ. May we all be cleansed this day of the things that pollute our souls.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio