At this time of the year, we hear the story from Mark’s Gospel of Jesus calming a storm.

You may be familiar with this story. Jesus and the disciples leave a crowd and decide to cross over to the other side of the lake. Jesus climbs into the stern of the boat and is lulled to sleep by the gentle swaying water. Things take a turn and before they reach the other side a great storm hits them. The disciples become distressed and fearful for their lives; they begin to panic, particularly as Jesus, their leader, is still fast asleep. At this point they raise him from his sleep and hasten him to do something as they question his level of concern. Jesus then speaks, “Be calm”, and all becomes calm once more. As the disciples wonder, “Who can this be?” Jesus also wonders, “How is it that you have no faith?”

The storms of our lives take many shapes - relationship troubles, financial hardships, ill-health, grief and loss to name just a few. When these storms thunder into our lives, at times our faith goes sailing away, and fear and anxiety can take hold - just as it did with the disciples. Now, let’s not be too critical, we could say this is fairly normal human behaviour. It’s kind of expected. We could say it’s all part of the voyage of life.

This thought is actually pertinent to the message of Mark’s scripture. That is, Jesus didn’t come to calm, and take away the storms of our lives as what happened with the disciples. There are no two ways about it - storms are and always will be a part of life. Rather, as the scripture alludes, Jesus came to help us cross over to the other side, to sail with us through what might seem like a frightening and impossible journey. In the words of Isaiah, ‘Do not be afraid, I am with you.’

Furthermore, the scripture tells us Jesus is positioned at the stern - the place where one would sit to steer the rudder. Not only is Jesus with us on the journey but he is our source of direction and guidance when all we can do ourselves is hold on and stay afloat, trusting that we will be carried to shore - albeit, probably to a new and unfamiliar place having ‘crossed over’.

Julian of Norwich knew this when she said, “God did not say: you will not be troubled, you will not be laboured, you will not be disquieted, but God did say you will not be overcome.” As the disciples wonder “who can this be?” We learn that there is never a storm too big for our God to handle. We are to have faith knowing that God is in our life-boat enduring the storm with us, steering the rudder and channeling the wind into the sails. All the while forming and transforming life with the promise of something new and worthwhile to be discovered for us on the shoreline of ‘the other side’.

Perhaps the most profound articulation of this message is made through the Passion of Christ. Jesus endures the storm of the crucifixion, faithfully placing his Spirit in God’s hands. His body is laid in the depths of the tomb where stillness and darkness close in on him. And then, beyond all expectation, unimaginably, Jesus rises to new life, stepping out of the tomb as if to gloriously arrive on the shoreline of the other side.

This is where we are called to go when Jesus says, “follow me.”

Have faith. Trust the path. And keep walking.

Reflection Questions:
What have been the lakes of your life? The moments of transition and crossing over?
What has guided you and given you direction throughout these times?
What helps you to hold to faith and stay afloat when fear or uncertainty sets in?
What gives you the courage to step out and arrive on the shoreline of the otherside?