"Sailing Through the Storms of Life" - Mark 4:35-41 – July, 2006

One of my favorite programs is "Storms Stories," which airs on the Weather Channel. I am simply amazed at the situations people find themselves in. One story was about a group who were fishing. They dropped two men off in the middle of Tampa Bay on a sand bar and planned on returning two hours later. But, a terrific storm appeared and the men were stranded. The water got deeper and deeper and all they could do was wait. Their friends eventually returned but their boat lost power. All they could do was swim to an old fishing shack on a pier.

During the same storm a women was sailing with her three children and their boat lost power. The mast was also blown over by the storm. Conditions were so bad that the Coast Guard had difficulty locating them. The woman was scared and she kept making radio calls. A trawler spotted them and a man on the trawler managed to jump aboard and stay with the woman and her children until the Coast Guard finally reached them.

With my experience in the Navy and sailing I too have found myself in some difficult and stormy conditions. Whenever the skies become dark and cloudy it gives you a weird feeling. The wind seems to come from all directions and the rain drenches you, making you terribly uncomfortable.

Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, also wrote a story called Ninety-Three. It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon, part of the ship's cargo, that had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to retrieve the loose cannon. But, they knew that the danger of a shipwreck from the cannon was greater than the fury of the storm. In other words, the danger of the inner storm was greater than the outer storm.

Storms of life may blow about us, but it is not exterior storms that pose the gravest danger. It is the conflicts within us which can overwhelm us. Perhaps you are experiencing a storm of an illness. Perhaps you have a relationship that is strained and conflicted. There are all kinds of storms going on internally. Maybe you have doubts about your faith. Or, perhaps you find yourself alone or even afraid.

How can we get through those difficult storms of our lives? Who can bring peace to the stormy conditions of our lives?

The disciples found themselves in a terrible storm. The Sea of Galilee is known for its sudden storms. They come without warning and they can be very violent. To the ancient Hebrews the sea represented chaos. Therefore, they stressed God's authority over the sea, that God could bring order out of chaos, or peace to a terrible storm.
Jesus' calming of the sea is symbolic of the power of God to bring peace to the inner storms of our lives. "He rebuked the wind and said, 'Peace be still,' and the wind ceased and their was calm."

What the disciples learned that day on the Sea of Galilee was not the danger of the storm on the outside of the boat but the danger within the boat. The danger was the lack of faith to overcome the storms of their inner lives. On the one hand Jesus was asking them to follow him, to commit themselves to the ministry of the church and be agents of God's love. That meant they would have to face a cruel and complex world that was very overwhelming. On the other hand, Jesus had a calming presence and was able to relieve them of the stormy conditions.

After the seas were calmed Jesus said, "Why are you afraid, have you no faith?" Faith is what sustains us in the storms of life. Faith in God, our faith in others, and our faith in ourselves bring us peace when there is conflict, tension or chaos.

How Jesus calmed the seas cannot be explained. Such is the power of God. God's ways are beyond our ways. This is symbolized by the fact that Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat. The disciples were experiencing a storm., but God was still present. Jesus was asleep and the disciples woke him up. "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" Of course he cared, of course God cares about the storms we all face. God wants us to acknowledge that we need help. God wants to be awakened so that God can respond. God is always accessible and ready to respond and by calling upon God's help we are acknowledging our dependence on God.

It is interesting to note that the disciples called Jesus, "teacher." That implies that they had learned from him and looked to Jesus as their authority, the one to guide them through the problems of life. To understand God as our teacher means we have to be willing to listen to God's instructions and then follow through.

One time I was sailing with some friends in the Chesapeake Bay. We were on a course that didn't have a lot of room for error. There were shallow areas on both sides. If we veered off course too far we would run aground. With little warning a storm arose. The skies were dark and the wind was strong and the rains were heavy. My friend, Steve, who is an experienced sailor, said, "Whatever you do, stay on course and don't panic." One of God's timeless lessons for us is to stay on course and not overreact. My experience required patience and trust. Although we couldn't see our way through the storm, we could still see the navigation aids in front of us. The worst thing we can do in a storm is panic. Eventually the storm passed and we could see again.

God also works through other people to assure us in the midst of difficult times. A young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, "I can sleep when the wind blows." This puzzled the farmer. But he liked the young man, and hired him. A few days later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm. They quickly began to check things out to see if all was secure. They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace. Meanwhile, the young man slept soundly.

The farmer and his wife then inspected their property. They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements. The tractor had been moved into the garage. The barn was properly locked. Even the animals were calm. All was well. The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man's words, "I can sleep when the wind blows." Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for the storm when it broke.

God wants us to rely on others when there is turmoil, especially to those who are faithful. Sometimes we find ourselves in a storm, but there is no one to help us. I have a friend who was faced with a difficult decision. No one could decide for him. Ultimately he had to decide for himself. I told him that while he could count on the presence of God he could also look within and draw from his inner strength. Sometimes our faith is deep inside of us. Call it confidence or courage, but nonetheless it is there.

Every year since 1993 I have taken a group sailing in the Chesapeake Bay. It's a lot of responsibility to charter a yacht and be "the captain." There are moments, especially during storms when the pressure is very great. For the last two years I haven't sailed. I had a stormy situation which resulted in the loss of my confidence. I finally realized that I still have the skills and faith to make another excursion. I had to look within and move forward., so I am taking a group of sailors this summer. I may encounter yet another storm, but I have the confidence and inner peace that I will manage.

Sometimes we need to look deep inside and find that inner peace to calm the storms of life. Other times we need to ask for help and allow God to work through others. No matter what kind of a storm we encounter we can be assured that just as Jesus was in the boat with the disciples, God is always in the boat with us.

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