There is something quite magical about being safe and warm while watching a storm. Looking out of the windows and seeing the snow swirling and the brilliance of the lightning. I love the sound of a storm too, especially when we are camping and hear the patter of the rain on the camper-van roof.
Last year when we were camping at the beach a sudden summer storm blew up. Of course, the forecast had predicted the event, so I had decided to take a quick walk around the campsite before it arrived. As I was walking back to the van the storm arrived, the power of the wind was amazing. It was a struggle to keep upright I momentarily wondered if I would actually be able to get back to the van. The wind felt as if it might be too strong for me to walk against. Of course, I did manage it and watched the rest of the storm through the window watching the wind and rain lash the campground. The wonderful thing about summer storms on a campground is that the sun soon comes out and people immerge from their campers and tents like ants scurrying about.
One thing I have learnt about storms is that I have no control over them. Nothing I can do can change the course of the wind or delay the onset of a storm. I may know it is expected, I may be able to make limited preparation — have I got enough firewood inside? is everything outside secure? or are the snow shovels by each door? — but I can’t stop the storm from happening. I can’t change the course of nature.
In the lectionary today, the story is about a sudden storm that blew up (Luke 8:22-25). I can quite imagine the scenario. Jesus and the disciples decided to sail to the opposite shore and “a gale swept down the lake” (23). I can picture this quite well. I have often stood in the park at the end of Cayuga Lake (44 miles long) and watched the storm blowing down the lake. The first noticeable sign is the distant darkening of the sky. It is actually quite an amazing thing to watch it encroaching.
Therefore, I’m sure, that as those whose career had been fishing the disciples had experienced sudden storms on the lake many times. But this time there was something different, something more violent, the boat started to take on water and they felt they were in danger.
A couple of extraordinary things about this story. The first is that Jesus was asleep. I must confess I almost allow myself a chuckle at this image. I can picture Jesus lying with a few inches of water lapping around his prone body, the force of the waves covering him with spray and the noise of the wind was howling around the boat which was being violently tossed about. I have, on many occasions, been awoken by a storm and never in the circumstances described in this text. So, there was something quite extraordinary, maybe miraculous, about Jesus being able to sleep through it all.
The second extraordinary happening was that Jesus could control the storm. This is not humanly possible, storms cannot be controlled. They blow and calm at their own will. I know that people pray when they are in the midst of severe weather — usually for their own protection— but even if the storm misses them, it does not really prevent what is happening. Nature cannot be controlled by humanity.
So, as always, with the stories in the gospels I ask myself why this one was included. I do believe that the writers of the gospels wrote with purpose; that the stories chosen to include were there for a reason.
Last week during our study of the historical Jesus, our task was to read the lost Gospel of Q as if we had never read or known anything about Jesus. It was quite a hard thing to do. I had not looked at Q for many years and certainly never tried to read it putting aside all the other sources of information about Jesus. One thing that really struck me was if the only writing available was Q, it would be hard to see Jesus’ divinity. Q contains a really great collection of the teachings of Jesus, all about how to live but there is nothing of incarnation, death and resurrection.
So, as I read this account in the Gospel of Luke, I noticed how this story was emphasising the divinity of Jesus. Jesus was doing something beyond human capability, Jesus was controlling nature.
When reading scripture, I am always aware there is a balance between the various authors and writings. Each highlighting a different dimension or bringing a new insight. Last time I blogged I talked about the balance between the epistles and the gospels. Today, as I read this little story, I saw a balance between the teaching in Q, the oral tradition which would have been circulating amongst the early followers of Jesus, and the gospel. In both the actions and the ensuing conversation between Jesus and the disciples, the author pf the gospel was highlighting a different aspect of Jesus — the divinity of Jesus.
I just want to add briefly that often this story is spiritualised. People talk about life’s storms especially if facing something a little unusual or hard. It is a comforting image to think of Jesus being unperturbed by the storm, even to the point of sleeping through it. Or to imagine Jesus calming or stopping the storm. I think this is another balance. This balance is between looking at the scriptures to seek to understand and study the theology contained therein and to read scripture to allow the verses to speak to current circumstances to bring hope and comfort.
(Photo — Derwent Water, Lake District, Cumbria)
