Out Our Way: Goliath's Gospel: The nasty old culvert again!

Mark 4: 38-41

Out our way, just about everybody now knows about Goliath and the culvert. I crossed Beaver Creek when it was in flood and the bridge was wiped out - a few sniffs at the water and in we went. Never got much above the hocks, but it was noisy and the current strong, and I thought we might have some trouble. Nope, Nada. Riding along the nature trail we came to where a tree had fallen across the path and he would have to step pver the trunk and around the branches. No problem. My buddy Charlie told me that when a horse trusts you they will dare to do what they might not on their own. And Goliath trusted me. OK, "Doc!"

Then we came along the trail into the open - into the wood - birds flying up in front of us out of the brush - didn't phase him a bit. And then, toward the end of the nature trail we came to "it." Yessir, that little tiny culvert crossing the road - no more than 6 inches wide - barely above the top of the path ... and guess what? "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" in Goliath's mind.

He came to a halt, backed away, tried to turn, fought me tooth and nail - or hoof, anyway. He tossed his head, went all stiff legged and even kicked out a tad. But I had my "magic wand" - read crop - and gave him a solid smack on the behind. He lept over that culvert and was fixing to break into a gallop in case it got up out of the ground and came after him, but I turned him back and made him cross it again. And then again and yet again until I merely loosed the reins and he stepped over it on his own. Left side, right side - over and over again until he was no longer afraid.

Charley told me that in his years of riding, the horse picks up cues from the rider and when the horse really trusts you - he will be less given to fits and terrors. I had thought Goliath and I were pretty well connected - until we came to the culvert. Then I discovered I still had work to do in the trust department.

In today's Gospel lesson, Jesus and the disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee in a fishing boat when a great storm came up. Apparently they do come up quickly in that area - strong winds and storms blow out of the surrounding mountains without warning and many a boat has gone under and a lot of savvy fishermen drowned in that sea. The Sea of Galilee is not Fresno Resevior but, I gather, very much like the Great Lakes in size and danger. Experienced fishermen like most of the disciples well understood the danger and when that storm hit, they knew they were in trouble. This was no "culvert" - to be quickly crossed and which really posed no danger - but a deadly phenomenon. Raised in the fishing villages along the Hebrew coast, they had known many fine sailors and fishermen who had drowned in such storms. The danger was very real.

But so was Jesus. They had seen the Hand of God on Him - and seen the power of God work through Him - and they had spent many hours beside Him as He shared with them the love of God for each of them and the human race. And so it was - as they cried out in terror and abandoned all hope, Jesus had to remind them Who was with them! With a word - the wind stopped and the sea calmed - and then Jesus turned to them and said, "Where is your faith? After all this time and all you have seen, you still don't get Who I am?"

Old Doc and I have ridden many a mile together but when it came to that old culvert, he forgot I was with him and lost his faith in me to keep him safe. The disciples had walked many a mile with Jesus, heard and saw His power and knew Him to be the Messiah by this time - yet they too forgot in their panic that the Lord was with them. They too lot their faith.

In the days and weeks and years to come, they would have to face the "culvert" test time and time again as they followed Jesus. Their fears would rise up as enemies, hunger and thirst, bad weather, and the hatred of the world would test them over and over again. They would face the shock of the religous leaders who preached the coming messiah but rejected Him when He actually arrived. They would face the terror of the passion - His arrest and crucifixion - before they would see the Risen One and know once again that He had never really left them. Eventually He would give them His Spirit so that would exerience His presence and His power with them always.

This is the promise Christ gave them and gives us, "Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ... for Lo! I with you always - even when you have to cross over a culvert."

(John Bruington is pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Havre. He, Scout and Goliath can be found, along with sermons, Bruin Town Tales and caroons at http://www.havrepres.org. Their book "Out Our Way: Theology Under Saddle" is available at Amazon.com.)