Calm in the storm

Huw Williams | 09:58, Thursday 2 May 2013 | Turin, Italy

I've been preparing my next sermon in Luke 8:22-25 this week. At just four verses, it is by far the shortest "chunk" of text I've chosen to focus on for a sermon in this Luke series. But the calming of the storm is such a compelling and rich place to be, I'm convinced that it is a good passage to slow down and consider in detail.

It seems to me that the main reflections of the passage emerge from two questions – one Jesus asks his disciples ("Where is your faith?"), and one the disciples ask each other ("Who is this…?")

Regarding the first question, I have been reminded of how quickly I respond to the storms of life just like the disciples – "Master, master – I'm drowning!" (implication – "…and don’t you care?!") Actually, I'm not sure it always takes a storm to expose my doubt of God's love, goodness and kindness, sometimes just a bit of choppy water is enough to bring it to the surface.

I have also been reflecting on, given what I have said in the previous paragraph, how easy it is to preach platitudes on Sunday morning, knowing that some of the storms our congregation are going through would make many of us quake with fear.

This is not to rob the passage of one of its main challenges – Jesus' question still rings in our ears, and drives us again to reflect on all he shows us of God's loving kindness, and what that tells of His intention to be with us, to care for us and provide for us – through all of life. But to fail to acknowledge the ferocity of the storm sometimes is to belittle the power of the love of God to be our certainty and our calm waters, whatever life may throw at us.