Soul Storm
Reading through social media can be fun, however in the last week it has been the source of great pain. Reading about the murders--my heart broke. The winds on what had started that morning as a calm sea were churning. I continued to read about the victims, who they were, their accomplishments, their lives, and yes, the bravery of Ty as he begged the gunman to spare his aunt and point the gun at him instead before he jumped in front of the bullet that took his life and then his 87 year old aunt's. I cried. The storm broke around me. I could not breathe. I wept for the senseless violence, for hatred, for the loss.
I shut the computer. I couldn't take any more. That night, my husband suggested we watch a video that we had given him as an early Father's day present--Selma. Oh, I knew the plot. I lived through it and remember it well from my childhood. The storm raged around me. I didn't think I could bear any more.
I turned to scripture and went to the lectionary readings. As I read about David, standing up to the bully, Goliath, I was gleeful to see the bully topple and fall. I heartily agreed with the psalmist who said "Be gracious to me, O God. See what I suffer from those who hate me." Paul's recollection of his sufferings "as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger . . ." spoke to me and the winds of my soul whipped. The waves threatened to break and flood my spirit.
But then I came to the gospel passage. Oh, how I could relate to those frightened disciples with the waves crashing over them, the boat about to be swamped or torn asunder. I could almost feel the violence of the storm raging around me (uh, did I mention that about that time a wall of rain descended on my house--again). I understood their looking as Jesus, sleeping through the raging storm, wondering how he could possibly be oblivious to what was happening--to their distress.
When they woke him up, he blinked the sleep out of his eyes, looked up and said "peace, be still." Looking at his terrified disciples, he simply asked "why are you afraid?" and I suspect goes back to sleep.
Huh? Who is person? He didn't join in our mutual fear and terror. He didn't scream, shout, and gnash his teeth (or anything exciting). He said "peace, be still" and the storm was stopped. Huh?
Aren't we supposed to be outraged? Aren't we supposed to wail? Aren't we supposed to get a good case of righteous indignation? Listen to that verse again from the Amplified Bible "And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased ([a]sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm ([b]a perfect peacefulness)."
The calming voice of God was all it took for perfect peacefulness. He said--hush, peace, be still. I don't think he even raised his voice. And the wind rested, exhausted from its own action of beating, of rage, and was at peace.
That is an amazing promise. We, the children of God can find perfect peace, calm, rest from our own spiraling out of control rage when we listen to the voice of God. It isn't the angry voice of God that causes us to stop our rage, our attitude (oh, yes, we can sport a 'tude with the best of them). It is when we listen to the still, quiet voice of God and obey his voice that peace flows like a river.
Yes, our world is raging. Our world is out of control with violence, racism, hatred, poverty, injustice and the list can go on and one. We can exhaust ourselves with beating our fists, stomping our feet, and working ourselves into a righteous rage. But our angry voices are not heard by the world. They do not follow when we scream. It is the quiet, loving voice of God that brings peace.
There is a time for action. There is a time for compassion. But peace, true peace, begins by listening to the quiet voice of God and following God's ways. So be it. Amen.
Respond to this blog
Posting a comment requires free registration:
- If you already have an account, follow this link to login
- Otherwise, follow this link to register