One day He got into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed He fell asleep. And a storm of wind came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in danger. And they went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even wind and water, and they obey Him?”
Luke 8: 22-25
Hurricane Helene was one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the United States. It caused catastrophic damage in multiple states, as rain, wind, storm surge and flooding caused extensive destruction over a wide swath of the Southeast. First of all, thank you to the many people who have been praying for our area of the country. Second, thank you to those who reached out to me personally. My home and our church in Tampa, thankfully, did not suffer any damage. The same can’t be said for many of our parishioners, people in the Tampa Bay area, people in the northern part of Florida and people in the Southeast that have been affected by this hurricane. There are many people who are not going to be okay for a long time to come.
The brief Scripture passage sums up my thoughts and the thoughts of many on this stressful occasion. We know that we have the Lord “in our boat” because of our faith. We know that storms of many kinds descend on our cities and on our lives. We know that Christ has the power to do anything, including causing storms to cease. And yet there are times when Christ feels silent, like He is sleeping while we are in turmoil. There are many people like me who feel like God saved us, as we were spared any harm. And at the same time, there are people who feel like God abandoned them, because they suffered great loss despite living only miles from people who suffered none. We discuss the permissive will of God occasionally on the Prayer Team, why God allows certain things to happen. We also have discussed disasters of nature (which I refuse to call natural disasters, because God did not create natural disasters), which are a result of the fall of humankind. In our fallen world, everything suffers from some degree of brokenness, whether it is our own sinfulness, exposure to the sins of others, or a broken nature which causes extremes—too much rain, or not enough; too much wind, too much heat or too much cold, etc. And these extremes bring about hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes, the things that Hurricane Helene has brought this week.
There are few things we can say for certain. God does know our storms. And God is with us in our storms. The storms are not a pre-requisite ordeal we have to survive in order to get to heaven, but part of a broken world we will inhabit until we get there. Setbacks in life test faith and also build character. How we deal with them—whether we lose hope, whether we reach out to others to help, the various ways we cope with tragedy—is what prepares us for our account at the awesome judgment seat of Christ. If you suffered a setback because of this storm, now is a time to face our brokenness with a resolve to not let this break you or your faith. And if you have not suffered a setback this week, now is a time for you to look around and see how you can be of help and encouragement to someone who was affected by this. Character in the face of personal tragedy, and generosity as we help others face theirs, are two critical components that will shape our Christian character.
It is easy to love God when everything is going right. It is another thing altogether to love God when everything is going wrong. This is what faith is—to love God even when it’s all going wrong. It is easy to love our neighbor when he doesn’t really appear to need any help. It is another thing altogether to rush to love our neighbor with generosity when our neighbor is in dire need.
How and why things like this happen is not a mystery. The world is broken, including nature. Where is God when things like this happen? In the midst of the storm, in every gesture of kindness. Why doesn’t God steer us clear of the storms? One, we wouldn’t need faith if He did. And two, there are some questions about God and His intentions that we will never know, but faith is what keeps us coming back, even when we don’t know or understand.
Lord of the Powers, be with us. For in times of distress, we have no other help but You; Lord of the Powers, have mercy on us. (From the Service of Great Compline)
Prayers for anyone and everyone affected by Hurricane Helene. May God comfort us, help us and be with us, in this hour of great need!
