Coping with Adversity

Weathering Life’s Storms: John 6: 16-21

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:17:48 -0400

“ . . . he saith to them: It is I; be not afraid.”

After feeding the multitude, Jesus confounded His apostles by seeking seclusion instead of glory.

With darkness descending, the perplexed apostles ventured out by themselves on the Sea of Tiberius, a six-mile expanse of open water that stood between them and their hometown of Capernaum.

They had only covered a few miles when storm winds blew down on the lake, churning and boiling their way through the Golan Heights and the Galilean hill country. Roaring across the water, the ferocious winds and storm-tossed waves threatened to capsize the small fishing craft.

Every man summoned his last ounce of strength, put his back to the oars and pulled for the shore in what must have seemed like an eternity.

Physically spent and emotionally drained, they spied something terrifying, a ghostly image suddenly emerging from the gloom, coming right for them. Could it be the Leviathan, the sea dragon of the Old Testament? Could it be one of the great beasts of the sea that David had written about?

Before they could react, the ghostly figure called out to them in a voice they recognized:

"It is I. Do not be afraid."

It was Jesus, miraculously walking on the water, coming to their rescue - - just as He comes to our rescue in the midst of life's storms.

The apostles’ faith was restored and they pulled for shore with renewed vigor. So, too, it us with all of us at times. The storms that put the fear of God in us can also make us take a closer look at the direction our lives are headed. At times, we may launch out into trackless waters, over-confident in our ability to weather life's storms and in our skill at navigating its treacherous shoals. It may take a tempest to make us change course.

The winds of change can point us in the right direction as long as Jesus is on board.

Steering Through Life’s Troubled Waters: Matthew 8: 23-27

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:07:42 -0400

“Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.”

Matthew’s Gospel focuses our attention on the storm that engulfed the disciples’ boat on the sea of Galilee, striking fear in the hearts of the men. In so doing, Matthew emphasizes the importance of prayer in terrifying times of great turbulence such as the nation is experiencing today.

Much of our life is spent, not in tumult, but in the still, calm waters where a tranquil life can lull us into a false sense of being in control of our own destiny. When everything is going well for us, we may sail right along, not bothering to pray. However, when storm winds take us by surprise, panic can set with disastrous results.

I saw a classic example of this last week where the current exhibit at the local science museum is artifacts from the RMS Titanic. At the time of its construction, the ship was the largest man-made moving object on earth; said to be “unsinkable.” On her maiden voyage across the Atlantic, the Captain took the most direct route, hoping to set a speed record. His faith in his own ability led him to ignore warnings from other passing ships as he steered straight for an ice field. When lookouts in the crow’s nest spied an ice berg dead ahead, the helmsman panicked and tried to turn the ship even as he cut power. The ship’s momentum brought her sideways onto the iceberg, which sliced through her like a can opener, claiming 1,517 lives.

On a much smaller scale, I saw another example of what can happen when the person at the helm panics. We were in a friend’s pontoon boat, following in the wake of a large cabin cruiser as it made its way through a “No Wake” zone, a narrow channel connecting two large lakes. Suddenly, we saw another cabin cruiser approaching from the opposite direction. Only ten feet of clearance separated the two huge boats. The helmsman in front of us panicked and throttled back his engines. That was a big mistake.

Without the power needed to maintain momentum, his boat lost steerage and the helmsman lost control. He wrestled with the unresponsive wheel as his boat wallowed in the wake of the small boat in front of him, then his cabin cruiser fish-tailed right into the path of the oncoming cruiser. The two large vessels collided with a blow that damaged both gunwales and the pride of both skippers. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

On witnessing the accident, I was struck by the fact that once fear took the helm, the huge cabin cruiser lost momentum; it was at the mercy of the slightest turbulence. It seems to me the same thing can happen in our spiritual life. We need the steadying power of daily prayer in the “No Wake” zones as well as the hidden shoals and ice flows of life because we never know for sure what’s coming at us from the opposite direction. Like the disciples in today’s Gospel, we need to turn to Jesus , ask Him to take the helm and steer us through life’s troubled waters.

Life’s Highs and Lows: Mark 9: 2-13

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:49:00 -0500

“And there came a cloud overshadowing them: and there came a voice out of the cloud, This is my beloved Son: hear ye him.”

There is nothing like the exhilarating experience of standing on a mountain peak and taking in a panoramic view that stretches as far as the eye can see. Looking down on birds in flight, you feel as though you're on top of the world. And you are! The air is so crisp and clear it takes your breath away, the silence so profound you can hear snowflakes fall. You can’t help marveling at the majesty of creation as you sense the closeness of God.

We all seek mountaintop experiences. In fact, the sporting goods store near our home has an artificial rock wall where customers can try their skill at mountain climbing. However, few people make it to the top.

In today's Gospel Peter, James and John make it all the way to the top. They have a mountaintop spiritual experience when they witness Jesus transfigured before their eyes. From out of a cloud, they hear the voice of God say, "This is my beloved Son. Hear ye Him."

“Hear ye Him” - - the most important lesson of of this extraordinary event is the necessity of listening to Jesus. That is the essence of the peak experience we call a spiritual high.

When all our struggles leave us winded, gasping for air and unable to speak, we are at long last able to stop and listen to the voice of God breaking through the clouds of adversity.

We've all had spiritual highs from time to time, though they are few and far between. For the most part, life is an uphill struggle. But that’s how it should be. We cannot live in the rarified atmosphere of a mountaintop. We cannot pitch our tents at the peak as Peter wanted to do. Things don't grow on the lofty summits. They grow in the fertile valleys and plains and in the shadow lands. They grow in parched and rocky soil. They grow amid the weeds. Despite the storms and droughts, they grow. That's where our spiritual lives must also bear fruit -- in the lowlands of life.

As the three apostles, descended the mountain, eager to share what they had witnessed, Luke says they were warned not to tell anyone. Telling the others might have sounded boastful and could have sparked jealousy and resentment. It could have distracted from the real significance of the event.

The transfiguration had been a special grace meant to strengthen the three men for the leadership roles they would soon assume. Each of the other apostles would also receive the grace they needed for their special role in the Church. But, first, the crucifixion had to take their breath away and leave them speechless, unable to do anything but listen. They had to hear what the Holy Spirit wanted to say about overcoming the adversity that would befall them.

Sometimes, in the midst of adversity, the best thing to do is sit and listen to what God is trying to tell us. What does He want us to learn from this experience? How does He want us to respond?