Pastor Hugh's Monthly Meditation
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SEEKING CALM
IN THE MIDST OF OUR STORMS
Sunday, March 18, 1990 is a date of infamy for the art world. On that day, two thieves, dressed as Boston Police officers, entered the Isabella Gardner Museum, in Boston, tied up the museum's security guards, and stole nearly $300 million in artwork. 16 years later, the whereabouts of these works are still unknown. The FBI is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to their recovery.
Click on image to see a larger view of Rembrandt's, Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, in a separate window.
Among the 13 works of art that were stolen was this painting by Rembrandt, “Christ in a Storm on the Sea of Galilee.” While it is hard to see here, it portrays the story in Mark (4:35-41) where a tranquil and sleeping Jesus is woken by panicking disciples as their boat is buffeted by a ferocious storm at sea.
We know from Mark that once woken, Jesus “rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.” What he does next, which draws you and me into this drama even more, is to turn to his disciples and ask, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”
To be honest, if I were one of these disciples, I would have been just as panicked. After all, their boat was about to capsize. Their lives were in peril. No wonder they were afraid. And in their fear they turned to Jesus for help. Isn’t that noble? Isn’t that a sign of faith? Are not we to turn to Jesus for aid when we feel threatened?
We live in a world rife with storms. Our nation is still reeling from the affects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and we are all growing collectively apprehensive as we enter a new hurricane season.
But the storms that most buffet our lives are not always meteorological in nature. They are often quite spiritual. They are the result of a misalignment of our trust. They spring from a lack of vision— from misplacing our faith.
Jesus doesn’t promise to stop storms from happening. In fact the reason why he calmed the storm for his disciples was to show them that he could—he was, after all, the Son of God. But that is not to say he plans to do the same for any of us.
No, his question is quite direct—almost a rebuke: “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith.” Faith, rightly oriented, leaves no room for fear, certainly not fear of a storm, no matter what shape it takes. Faith allows us to rest in the comfort and knowledge that in God’s hands, all is well.
Oh, the storm might just swamp our boat, but it will never swallow our souls.
Hugh R. B. Haffenreffer
Pastor
July 2006
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