Scripture: Mark 4:35-38
Later that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” They left the crowd and took him in the boat just as he was. Other boats followed along. Gale-force winds arose, and waves crashed against the boat so that the boat was swamped. 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?”
Thought for the Day: Today in worship, we will be talking about the sea and storms as a Biblical metaphor for chaos – that emotional and spiritual bedlam that comes into the lives of all of us at one point or another. It is a fairly accurate metaphor, especially when you feel as if you’re being knocked around by the storms of grief, suffering, injustice or a true natural disaster. When you think about ancient cultures, prior to the science of meteorology, storms were mysterious and frightening. They were destructive, without rhyme or reason. Watching the aftermath of the fires in California, I was struck by the many metaphors I heard used by those directly impacted. When one of the newscasters asked the question that always causes me to roll my eyes, “How are you feeling right now,” to the person whose home was completely destroyed, I thought the response was revealing. The man said while gesturing to what remained of his home, “It feels as if the very structure around me is gone.”
The disciples were caught in the chaotic storm while Jesus seemed unaware. Since the Gospel of Mark was written in response to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the audience would have heard this story on a literal level (as they lived close to the Sea of Galilee and knew of its storms), but also as a metaphor of their lives in the aftermath of the Romans cracking down on the Jewish community which would have included the early Christians. Might their prayers spoken in desperation started out with the words, “Oh Jesus, are you asleep? Are you not paying attention?” The power of story and metaphor to communicate feelings that would otherwise be impossible to share is so very important and cathartic. You can just imagine the audience nodding their heads as a way affirming the truth of the story on so many levels.
Prayer: You understand the chaos of our lives, O Lord, even when the storm appears to be taking us down. You are the One who remains present to us when everyone and everything else has failed us. Thank you for your everlasting love. Amen.
See You In Worship
