Do We Have The Sound Of A Storm Within?
Good Morning Friends,
This morning in the freedom of silence I began to think about the repeated sounds in the Bible and in literature that grab our attention and in a way put a lock on our mind. The trumpets sounding, the cock crowing, the sound of footsteps, the noise of the city, the sound of chariots, the knocking on a door, the rush of water and the thunder that comes as a judge on what we claim in our control. With all the summer lightning strikes and downpours, I wonder if they prompts in us the right emotions. Do We Have The Sound Of A Storm Within?
Scripture: For the Lord is laying Babylon waste, and stilling her loud clamor. Their waves roar like mighty waters, the sound of their clamor resounds;
Jeremiah 51:55 (NRSV)
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8 (NRSV)
Joy and gladness are taken away from the fruitful field; and in the vineyards no songs are sung, no shouts are raised; no treader treads out wine in the presses; the vintage-shout is hushed.
Isaiah 16:10 (NRSV)
For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
Isaiah 9:5 (NRSV)
when the doors on the street are shut, and the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;
Ecclesiastes 12:4 (NRSV)
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,
Mark 6:45-51 (NRSV)
Message: Today’s devotional is about how sounds or the lack of sounds impact our feelings and in a way set the stage for the convergence of a metrological event of the mind in the space of our geography. It is about what defines our human behavior in the face of the power of God. The setting could be like Adam and Eve in the Garden wondering if they are trapped in our being locked out. But instead, this morning, I would like you to imagine in your mind the setting is the Sea of Galilee which lies 680 feet below sea level. It is bounded by hills, especially on the east side where they reach 2000 feet high. These heights are a source of cool, dry air. Storms result from differences in temperatures between the seacoast and the mountains beyond. In contrast, directly around the sea, the climate is semi-tropical with warm, moist air. The large difference in height between surrounding land and the sea causes large temperature and pressure changes. This results in strong winds dropping to the sea, funneling through the hills like a hissing snake. The Sea of Galilee is small, and these winds may descend directly to the center of the lake with violent results. When the contrasting air masses meet, a storm can arise quickly and without warning. Small boats caught out on the sea are in immediate danger. The relative shallow depth of the Sea of Galilee makes it even more violent than a similar wind on a deep ocean where energy is more readily absorbed. Here we have the story and the sounds of a storm that are easy to personify as like human behavior. Angry and lustful hearts are like troubled seas. Society is a storm in the face of inequality and economic pressures. And in the midst of this lesson the teacher Christ walks on the waters. You have got to wonder what he was hearing in his mind and what sounds consumed the minds of the disciples. And here we are to marvel at Jesus, the Creator, for He calms the storms without and within with the sound of a calming voice that reaches into our very soul to take us home.
Pray that in the onslaught of sounds in the storms of life we not be surprised by fear. Pray we have the faith to listen and hear the calming voice of the Creator. Pray we appreciate the situational contextual of sounds and the emotions they engender. Pray we recognize the struggles and storms that come into our life. Pray in our rowing against the winds of the world we not ignore the reality that Jesus and his voice is in the middle of the storm too. Pray that when we come to the end of self, we invite God and His sounds of joy and love and light into our boat. Pray that we realize that when, in the middle of the Lake, Jesus gets in the boat of our mind, he immediately brings us to our destination with the presence of His calming voice.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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