While it is not comfortable, to be in crisis is probably the natural state of the Christian project. Even in Jesus’ day: “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. (Luke 6:26) Likewise, quite early on, the story of the storm at sea was read as a kind of allegory, representing the (later) church undergoing trials. The natural feeling of being abandoned is captured in the raw emotion of Mark’s account. Mark also tells us where to seek help: Who then is this? Like the disciples, we have no full understanding of Jesus and yet, like them, to him we turn.
Prayer
Lord, the sea is so wide and my boat is so small. Be with me. (Breton Fisherman’s Prayer)
K O’Mahony OSA