Living in the Spirit
June 24, 2018
Scripture Reading: Mark 4:35-41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’
Eighty Niner Day was a big deal in Oklahoma when I was a child. It celebrated allowing people to race into the unassigned lands in Oklahoma territory to claim a 160-acre homestead. It was designated as unassigned because it was the only land left in the territory that was not assigned to various Indian tribes. The run as it was called was celebrated in Guthrie the original capitol of Oklahoma with a big parade, carnival, and rodeo. One year our whole family, as well as one of my aunt’s family, attended the parade and rodeo but it was decided my parents would take the two boys who were older to the evening festivities and my aunt would take her two younger daughters and my sister and me to her home. Shortly after arriving at her house a huge storm struck the farm on which my aunt lived, and she hastens we four girls to the cellar where many Oklahomans take shelter from possible tornados. We girls went to sleep but were awakened a few hours later by my father knocking on the cellar door. We climbed up and out to a beautiful night sky filled with stars. My father teased his sister, my aunt about being a scaredy cat, she said, “You were not here.” No storm had struck Guthrie some 30 miles away.
We never know what life realities others face or how their reactions might be driven by their histories. My father knew his younger sister was scared and his teasing was his way of changing her focus, lightening the situation. Jesus recognized the disciples were afraid and while he told them they did not need to be afraid he also calmed the sea of torment. We too are called to reassure people that God is always with them and provide them with solutions to illustrate that reality.
Prayer: Lord, make us empathic about the realities of others so that we may help alleviate their troubles. Amen.