"Peace. Be Still."

Thirty-one years ago, thieves broke into the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum in Boston and stole several paintings.  One was a painting by Rembrandt that depicted the scene in this coming Sunday’s gospel (Mark 4:35-41).  In the painting, the disciples in the boat are going ballistic.  Their little boat, hit by a huge wave, is almost standing on end.  Lightning and thunder and waves are crashing over their heads.  Jesus however – and Rembrandt illumines his face powerfully – is sound asleep.

Now, you don’t need to be a graduate of the Maritime Academy to know that if the problem is having so much water in your boat that you’re in danger of being swamped, then the solution is fairly clear.  Bail.  Bail like crazy.  All hands on deck to start bailing.  

So how come that one guy is sound asleep?  Come on Jesus – wake up!  And what happens?  Jesus does wake up.  But instead of lending a hand with bailing, he has a different solution.  He turns toward the water.  Quietly, he says, “Peace.  Be still.”  And the Sea of Galilee becomes as smooth as glass.  

The Good News is that when we’re frantically bailing, God offers a different solution.  He offered a perspective of love that goes to the heart of the problem.

I have a friend named Pat.  Some years ago, Pat and his wife bought a large house in a rough and tumble neighborhood, opened its doors to other people, and began to have a Christian presence and ministry in the city.

With this new ministry, Pat felt that he needed some spiritual guidance.  So he began to meet every couple of weeks with an Episcopal priest named Taylor.

At their first meeting, Taylor said to Pat, “Who is God calling you to be?”  And Pat said that God was calling him to do this and that ministry.  At their next meeting two weeks later, Taylor said to Pat, “Who is God calling you to be?”  And Pat reminded Taylor that he had already told him some of the things that God was calling him to do.

This went on at every session, and Pat got frustrated.  Taylor ended every session by asking Pat, “Who is God calling you to be?”

It got to be Christmas.  Pat’s children, who had grown up and left home years ago, were all back and together for the first time.  They were having a good time getting caught up.  Then, in a quiet moment, his daughter said, “Dad, not to change the subject, but I have something to tell you.  I’m pregnant.”

Every eye turned toward Pat.  His daughter was not married, and her relationship with her boyfriend was rocky.  Everyone in that room braced themselves for Pat’s solution to that problem - a solution of disappointment and judgment.

In that moment, Taylor’s voice went off in Pat’s head.  And Pat suddenly knew who God was calling him to be.  God was calling him to be a father.  He said to his daughter,

So, what shall we name the baby? 

Later that afternoon, Pat was downstairs folding laundry.  His son came into the room with tears in his eyes.  He said, “Way to go, Dad,” and embraced him.

In what ways might God be calling you to stop bailing, and to turn instead to the power of God’s forgiving and redeeming love?

I can’t wait to see you on Sunday.

Love,

Jim