Arriving at the Other Shore
My new friend Bret is a priest with the Charismatic Episcopal Church (CEC). As a recent convert to that denomination I have been watching the daily noon service from The Cathedral of Christ the King in Selma, Alabama. On Thursday Bret was preaching. The Gospel was from Mark, chapter 4, the story of Jesus calming the storm.
Bret however, focused on the beginning and the end of the story which actually falls on the first verse of Chapter 5. For those who aren’t aware, the first copies of then Bible has no punctuation nor, chapter divisions. This saved precious space on partchment. Translators later added the Chapters and punctuation. Hence, as Bret explained, verse one of chapter 5 can be easily viewed as the end of the story in 4 just as well as the beginning of the story in chapter 6.
So Bret’s great idea was to see the beginning of Chapter 4 and the beginning of chapter 5 as brackets around the story of crossing the sea. Thus, framing the story from “Let’s cross over the sea.” and “They arrived at the other side.”
Now I do believe Mark’s main intention was to show Jesus with power over the storm. However, Bret made a convincing point from the point of view of the disciples faith and fear. Plus, how we can learn from their lack of faith.
If Jesus says, “Let’s cross over.” You can be sure crossing over is going to happen, regardless of the storms that may interfere. Jesus is clearly not concerned. He is asleep in spite of the rough sea. Bret, then goes on to observe that the rest of the voyage seems immediate. The sea is calm. Yet, they arrive a verse later without wind or rowing.
Thus if we discern we are “sailing” in a direction that Jesus is directing us to travel we can, by faith be certain of the destination. There is no doubt that everyone’s life is full of “stormy weather.” Illness, tragedy, job loss, etc. will come sooner or later. We may feel like we’re drowning in despair. Yet, as my favorite verse helps me, “All things work together for good for those who trust in the Lord!” We will eventually land safely on the other side of the storm!
True, it may seem from time to time that Lord is asleep. Many Christians go through a period when it seems like god has disappeared. There is even a name for it. It’s called “The dark night of the soul.” It can last for a short or even a long time. Mystics don’t really have a good answer. I had a parishioner whose favorite verse was, “It came to pass.” He trusted that the storms in his life would inevitably pass him. He would get to the other side.
So if you are in the midst of a storm, even if it seems like the Lord is asleep, hold on to your faith. It’s alright to pray “Help me bail the boat!” Yet, fear not. The other side of the sea may be nearer than you think.