Scared in the Boat
Today is one of those days when the tension is so strong you can feel it.
A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?' He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!' Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, 'Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?' - Mark 4:37-40
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus takes the storm in stride, finding peace in napping while his disciples are filled with fear.
It reminds me of the state of our nation today. Many are afraid of what they anticipate while others are anticipating great things.
But on thing is clear. There is concern all around that people will get caught up in the frenzy of emotion and do something terrible. It is the period of high tension before the storm that is most frightening, and we have been in it for some time.
I have to admit that I am a bit worried. I would like to be as calm as Jesus was in the storm, but I can't help think someone will do something stupid and cause an explosion of violence today.
With us divided as a nation, we make ourselves excellent targets for those who seek to bring us all down. And because we are angry and fearful of each other, we will fail to see that we are vulnerable to attack.
The thing we fear the most we could bring upon ourselves because we lack faith in each other, in our system of government, in our commitment to liberty, freedom and justice.
We are all scared in the boat and our fears could cause us to capsize.
Maybe we have just lost our faith.
Maybe we should listen to Jesus and be calm, before it is too late.
These things I pray, that we will stay calm and believe in ourselves. God help us today.
More to come...