Weather seems to be an important part of each person's life. Seemingly modern folks have to know the latest weather report more than once each day. Radio stations have the weather report every hour minimally. Some stations report every then minutes. Most storms seem to impact us more powerfully in today's culture than in years past when Doppler Radar and other similar weather helps did not exist. How many times each day do you ask someone who has just come into an office or home this question: "What's the weather like out there?" even though there are windows in the office or home!
In the bible the storms that are recounted usually represent trouble that, in many cases, is solved by divine intervention. What would we do if the words from Revelation 21:1 were true today: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. Apparently in the Book of Revelations vision of the new earth and the new heaven no longer will there be a need for the old heaven and the old earth. Something new will be created by God.
In the meantime we encounter many storms in our lifetime. A Liturgical Press writer has suggested that there are at least seven storms that most encounter at one time or another: "illness, depression, moral dilemmas, poverty, tragedy, accidents and death." Just mentioning these seven is tiring. So there is a big difference in the sea storms that threatened or actually did in lives and those mentioned. The storms we encounter usually bring us to prayer, just like the disciples in today's gospel. In these storms we have come to rely upon the calming power of Jesus. We have come to acknowledge him as God's ever-present care for us us. If we are faithful to prayer and efforts at a strong, personal relationship with Jesus, we come to trust that he will indeed be with us to calm our seas.
