Jonah VII (Asleep)
5) Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.
There are as many reactions to disaster and devastations and hard times as there are people. People react in so many different ways. We can see in recent events with the terrible earthquake that has just devastated the island of Haiti, the different reactions to this cataclysmic event. We see pictures of people crying out to God,pleading for help. We see thugs and criminals trying to take and control the tiny amount of food and resources that can be found by force and sheer inhumanity, committing muderous acts against innocent men, women, and children. We see those whom despite the lack of tools or equipment, digging with their hands, holding on to some hope of finding their lost relatives that are buried under tons of rubble.
In the case of the text from which we are reading today, we shall see something just as devastating on the spiritual landscape of America. There are no dramatic pictures to reveal the destruction. There’s no CNN reporters doing exclusives on what exactly is going on. They may report on the aftershocks, but the underlying problem is much, much deeper than some news agency could percieve or report.
These are days of great uncertainty. Fear permeates our televisions with stories of terrorist plots, soaring energy prices, a dwindling economy, and not a lot of answers on how to fix it. We have seen great political swings in the past couple of years. People desperately turning to anyone who might show the leadership that will solve their problems and calm their fears.
Just like the mariners, people are turning to their gods to find some refuge or escape from the mounting pressures around them. For some it’s alcohol, drugs, pornography, sex, anger, and all sorts of other things that people use to medicate the turmoil that is not just on the outside but on the inside. I have never seen so many drugs advertised for depression and all kinds of other “conditions” that we never realized were “conditions”. Many would risk the side affects of these drugs that are unimaginable to find some happiness, solace, or peace.
In hopes that the government will save them, people are tossing freedoms and liberties that our forefathers of our country, fought and died for, for the hope of security and safety. This is not a political statement, as much as it reveals a condition of the heart. Just like the men on that boat were willing to throw away cargo that could have been worth a fortune, possibly priceless items, for the slight opportunity of safety, security, and self-preservation.
In the midst of this storm, tempest, fear and anxiety that our world faces, the answer to the problem, the hope for humanity, the one who can do something about what is happening in our world today……………………………sleeps.
To Be Continued.
Kevin
