Weathering the Storm

“Then [Jesus] got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?’”
– Matthew 8: 26-27

As I write this, my weather app is telling me that a storm is coming. Even larger storms are happening in this world, in Afghanistan and in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Clouds of dust from terror and tragedy are affecting the people of Afghanistan and our women and men in uniform. Clouds of wind and rain are wrapping themselves around the American South. Both of these clouds tell us the same thing: uncertainty and chaos are alive and well in our lives.

Such storms are not just global; they can be local as well. The difficulties of everyday life produce clouds, storms, winds, and rain in everyday peoples’ lives. Maybe you are in a storm of life right now, wondering how you will make it out of this time. Maybe you are walking through the storm of a loved one or neighbor, accompanying them in their journey through clouds and wind. One thing is true: storms are happening everywhere, every day.

All of the turmoil and heartbreak happening in the world and our lives can dishearten us and leave us with a sense of wondering what is next. The story of Jesus calming the storm is one that I remember in times like these. God’s presence in the midst of storms is not just for dramatic effect: it is a Living Word that cuts into our storms and leads our lives to calm. We hear Jesus speak, and things happen! God is speaking in the midst of these storms as well. God is speaking words of forgiveness during tragedy, words of remembering in chaos, words of love into hurricanes of hate. May God speak these same words into the storms of your life.

God’s Peace,
 
Pastor Tim