Matthew 8:23-27, v25. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

The disciples’ response to the storm is absolute panic, they rush to wake up Jesus. The problem with panic is that any logical thoughts go out the window. What did they expect Jesus to do? The honest answer is that they wanted Jesus to take control and do the thinking for them. But when he stills the storm they are amazed. They didn’t see that coming!

And what about us when we panic? We too, like the disciples, want someone to take control and sort everything out. Do we think of turning to God at moments like this and sharing our panic with him? If we do this honestly and seriously we often receive the gift of calmness. We can then look at our problem or problems in a different way.

Moving on to the passage from Acts:

Acts 27:13-20, 39-44.

The ship wreck

Throughout this passage Paul is constantly praying to God and as a result becomes a centre of calm. This calm is so infectious that the Roman Centurion listens to him and actually takes his advice, which eventually leads to everyone being saved.

Psalm 107

v23. Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters;

Those sailors face enough natural problems as they journey around our world bringing us many different kinds of goods, from food to cars, from clothes to the prescription drugs that many of us rely on.

But right now, many seafarers are facing an extra challenge because of the crisis in the Gulf, near a place called the Strait of Hormuz. This is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Every day, ships carrying food, fuel and goods travel through these waters. Recently, there have been attacks, threats and growing tensions in the region. While the news often talks about countries and governments, we can sometimes forget the ordinary people caught in the middle and it is not only the sailors themselves but their families at home who may have little or no information about what is going on. When will their loved ones return? Will they come home injured or even worse will they die as a result of attacks on their ships?

Our prayers for them are desperately needed as well as our prayers for peace in the Middle East. Our final prayer should be to give thanks to God for all who go down to sea in ships and enable us to live comfortable lives. We all need to remain calm because panic helps no one. But above all we need to trust in God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Andrew SSL