They came and woke him, saying,
"Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"
When Elijah called the people of Israel together and demanded that they choose between the One God who had delivered them from Egypt, or the pagan gods they seemed to prefer, he challenged the priests of Baal to call down fire from heaven to consume their sacrifice. Predictably, nothing happened. And he taunted them, "Perhaps your gods are asleep!"
Awake! Why do you sleep, O Lord?Rise up! Do not reject us forever!Why do you hide your face;why forget our pain and misery?
It may not be a fair question but we often wonder whether the Lord notices what is happening in this world he created and says he watches closely. So when the frightened disciples, following Jesus onto the tempestuous Sea of Galilee, met a terrific storm, they knew what to do -- Wake him up!
Predictably, he chided them for their lack of faith. Should they have let him sleep? Or tossed him overboard like the sailors did to Jonah? But because he was their leader, guide and champion, even if he appeared to be only a man, they demanded, "Lord, save us! We're perishing!"
It's hard to say what they expected at that moment. They didn't have our retrospective knowledge of his authority. They had seen him cure many sick people, and stare down opponents, but those incidents weren't like stormy skies, ferocious winds, and towering, turbulent waves. They just knew they could do nothing and, if anyone could, it was Jesus.
Today's Church teaches us to turn to Jesus during any and every distress. Prayer always helps. Praying may do nothing more than stimulate the memory of where we left the car keys, or arouse the willingness to resist one's own evil urges, an ad's temptations, or an despot's insinuations. But praying wastes neither time nor energy. And sometimes, when the problem has passed and the crisis is resolved, we'll say, "That's the power of prayer! Only the Lord could have managed that one!"
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.