News you can use
News you can use
Mark 6:45-52
By this time those of you who have followed the "Goliath Chronicles" know of his greatest fear: that culvert on the nature trail in Beaver Creek. No matter how many times I have forced Goliath to cross it - allowed him to sniff it and led him over it - he is always terrified of it the next time we have to cross it.
As a friend of mine has noted, poor old "Doc" has a brain the size of an orange, and regardless of how many ties I have shown him there is nothing to fear and forced him to cross it, every time we come back to it he balks and tries to back away.
What is this small black plastic culvert to him? A monster? A giant snake? A horrifying danger of unknown evil? I don't know, but I can testify that no matter how many times we cross this little black tube, it is a trial of terror for my buddy, Goliath.
I have no idea what he see when we approach this harmless culvert each week. I know what it is - and I know that it is harmless. It cannot hurt us. But Goliath does not. And so every time I ride him on this part of the trail, I have to show him that as terrifying as that little black piece of tubing may be, I am greater. I cross it and it remains dormant, for I am greater than it. I know it is man-made, and therefore as a man have no fear of it, for man is greater than his creation. Man is master of the tube of plastic and not the other way around.
Of course, Goliath doesn't comprehend this. He only sees that I am greater than what he fears and therefore is eventually able to cross over it because I am with him. When I finally get it across to him that I am master of the dreaded culvert, he relaxes and crosses with ease and confidence because I am with him.
As we read the text of today with the terror of the wind and waves, we may have some real understanding of Goliath's fears. The disciples on the Sea of Galilee saw the storm and the waves that they believed would sink their boat, but the creator of the wind and waves saw only his own creation and calmed the storm and the fears of his followers.
Like Goliath, the vision and comprehension of the discipes was limited and their fears were great because they only saw the terror and not the reality. But Jesus saw the whole picture. He saw creation - His creation in turmoil - and he commanded it, as the creator, to be still and calm. And so it was.
The disciples marveled - as does Goliath - at the very idea there is more to the story than they can comprehend, and that there is a power greater than their own in control. I suspect Goliath is amazed and astounded when I make him cross that dreaded culvert that it cannot and does not rise up to harm him. And so he slowly gives into the idea that I am greater than the dreaded monster he fears - and so I am, for as a man I am the creator of such thing and therefore master of it as well as Goliath. And if I tell Goliath it cannot harm him, eventually he will believe me and cross it without fear, for he knows I am greater than the culvert
We who face the storms of life - the wind and waves of adversity and terror need to grasp, as does Goliath, that there is a greater power than the one we fear and dread. And when THAT power is in control, no other power or force can touch or truly harm His beloved ones. Soetime as the wind roars and the waves tower above us, it is hard to believe - but remember who is with us in the midst of the storm. And remember whose power is greater.
(John Bruington is pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Havre. He and Doc and Scout weekly share their stories and insights in the Havre Daily News and also on the web page http://www.havrepres.com where sermons, children stories and cartoons are featured every week.)
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