Storms can be scary . . . especially for
children.
Dana and I spent a good chunk of our
ministry in Nebraska. Nebraska is
considered a part of the “tornado alley”.
Tornado alley runs from the southern border of North Dakota all the way
south to the middle of Texas. This
geography got its name because it is the place in the United States most apt to
get tornadoes. Nebraska averages 57
tornadoes a year. Our family spent a lot
of time camping out in the basement while living in Nebraska, and the kids got
a healthy respect for tornado sirens.
They learned at a young age that when the sirens went off, everyone was
to head for the basement and safety.
Which was fine and dandy while we were
living in a large community like Kearney for many years . . . a place where the
sirens only went off when there was a threat of tornadoes. The kids knew what to do.
The problem was when we moved to the
small rural community of Cambridge.
There in Cambridge they also used the siren to signal the noon
hour. Shortly after we arrive in
Cambridge, on a beautiful, clear day—not a cloud in the sky, the siren went off
to signal the noon hour. No sooner had
it gone off than our daughter started yelling for everybody to head for the
basement . . . she was terrified. And,
she was mad . . . mad because her mother and I laughed. But it was no laughing matter to our
daughter. It took us a long time to
convince her that there was no threat of a tornado . . . not even a rain shower
. . . that it was just the noon siren.
Storms scared her.
Of course, she eventually grew out of
it. Unfortunately, being scared of
storms has come full circle on her. Her
two daughters have started fearing storms . . . they can’t stand lightning and
thunder . . . and, it is driving our daughter crazy. Dana and I just smile while suppressing the
desire to break out laughing.
Storms are scary.
In our scripture reading this morning we
witness how scared the disciples get when a storm blows in as they are crossing
a lake in a boat. The winds were blowing
. . . howling . . . and waves crashed over the boat nearly swamping it. It was a bad storm and the disciples were
scared. Through it all, there laid
Jesus—asleep in the stern of the boating . . . just sawing logs and sleeping
soundly.
The disciples could not believe it. They were so scared—they were terrified, so
they woke Jesus and pleaded with him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
I can’t think of anyone who enjoys being
woke up from a great sleep, and Jesus was not too happy to be woken up. He got up, rebuked the wind, and told the
waves to be quiet . . . then, suddenly, it was quiet and calm. Then he turned to his disciples and said, “Why
are you so afraid? Do you still have no
faith?”
That is probably a fair question for
Jesus to ask his disciples. Prior to
this the disciples have witnessed him heal people, he has preached and taught,
he has told them parables about the Kingdom of Heaven . . . they have seen it
all . . . the miracles . . . the healings.
They have seen the holiness and felt the sacredness of Jesus in their
presence. And yet, when a storm comes
along . . . they panic . . . they get scared . . . they fall apart. Jesus cannot believe it.
It must have been quite a storm. Remember that the disciples were seasoned
fishermen . . . this wasn’t their first rodeo, and they were scared. They had every right to be scared, and that
was not what made Jesus mad. He was not
upset that they were scared . . . he was upset in the way that they handled
their fear. In the way that they handled
their fear, they showed a lack of faith.
They didn’t get it . . . even after all they had witness of Jesus’
ministry . . . even after all that they had heard . . . they still did not get
it. They lacked the fundamental belief
that “God knows, God cares, God can act.”
Even in the presence of Jesus they did not get it. Instead they gave into their fear . . . let
it over take them to the point that they could do nothing . . . even though the
presence of the Holy was with them!
Once again, Jesus shows them. With a few simple words he rebukes the wind
and waves, calms the storm . . . the terrifying storm. Poof!
Just like that it is gone! Jesus
lets them know who is in control. If the
disciples weren’t terrified before, they are now. The writer of the Gospel of Mark tells us: “They were terrified and asked each other,
‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’”
Makes one wonder if they get it now.
As usual, central to this story is the
witness of Jesus. In this story we see
Jesus sleeping soundly and peacefully in the midst of a deadly storm . . . not
a care in the world . . . sawing logs.
The disciples wonder how he can do that when they are certain they are
all going to die. They forget the secret
that Jesus lives . . . God is with them . . . “God knows, God cares, God can
act.” God’s got this . . . echoes of the
23rd Psalm here, folks. In
their panic, the disciples forget . . . they lose faith.
This is where Jesus wants his disciples
to be . . . that God is in control, that God is with us . . . and, if God is
for us, what could ever be against us?
Jesus wants the disciples to go from not believing to believing
this. Do you remember what he told his
disciples at the start of this journey across the lake? He told his disciples: “Let us go over to the other
side.” Though it sounds like a
simple directive to go from one side of the lake to the other, theologically it
is a call to go from having no faith to having faith . . . it is a call to believe.
In such a way, we find peace in the
storm.
Storms are scary. I am not going to argue that they
aren’t. When storms hit we cannot give
into our fears. No, we need to stand
firm in what we believe, while at the same time be smart . . . take cover, but
do not let our fear and panic take over to the point that we lose faith. Instead hold fast to faith knowing that you
can trust that God holds us all . . . even in the storms. Especially during the storms. There is a certain peace that comes in
knowing this. Faith provides this.
Peace can be found in the storm when one
relies on his or her faith. It does not
matter whether the storm is one of nature or human made. There can be peace in the storm if we truly
believe that God is with us . . . that God knows, cares, and acts . . . that
God will never abandon us. After the
storm, there is the rainbow . . . God is with us.
You know how beautiful the world looks
after a storm . . . the clear skies, the wonderful smell, the brightness of
everything around us. Johnny Nash said
it well in his 1972 hit song:
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright
(bright)
Sun-Shiny day.
I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been praying for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright
(bright)
Sun-Shiny day.
Look all around, there's nothing but blue skies
Look straight ahead, nothing but blue skies
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so
afraid? Do you still have no faith?” There
is peace in the storm . . . Jesus shows us the way. Believe!
Amen!
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