“Making It Through the Storm”

Religion in Daily Life By the Rev. Edward Chinn, D.Min. Rector, All Saints’ Church Written 30 July 2000

In the fall of 1991, a small fishing boat named the “Andrea Gail” set out from Gloucester, Massachusetts. The captain and his crew needed to make one last (and big!) catch of the fishing season. As they headed home from the fishing grounds in the North Atlantic, they ran into a convergence of a thunderstorm and a hurricane. This produced the most powerful storm in modern history. Weathermen call it the “perfect storm.” Sebastian Junger based his novel on that incident. The current movie is based on the book, “The Perfect Storm.”

The word “storm” has come to stand for more than the literal disturbance of the atmosphere. Figuratively, the word “storm” can stand for any danger, difficulty, or rough condition in one’s personal life. Imagine what a storm Jesus’ followers faced in Rome in AD 64. The first century historian Tacitus reported how the Emperor Nero had Christians “set on fire to serve to illuminate the night.” Mark’s account of the Christian Message was written in Rome about AD 65. Caught in the storm of persecution, Jesus’ followers must have found encouragement in Mark’s story of a storm at sea. During the storm Jesus came to them, saying, “Courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Mark 6:50).

Like the friends of Jesus on the Sea of Galilee, we’re all in the same boat. We, too, face storms. So many of these storms begin with the letter “D.” There are such storms as disease, disability, divorce, discouragement, and discrimination. Still, as the African proverb says, “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” Skillful sailors gain their reputation from storms and tempests. As we go through our private storms, God says to us, “Courage! Don’t be afraid.”

What a storm struck a black musician, Tom Dorsey, in August 1932! Tom and his wife, Nettie, lived in Chicago. Nettie was expecting their first child. A friend invited Tom to sing at a church in St. Louis, Missouri. Reluctantly, Tom left his wife and drove to St. Louis. Two days later, Tom received a telegram that read, “Your wife just died.” Hurrying home, he learned that before Nettie died, she had given birth to their son, but he, too, died. Both Nettie and the little boy were buried in the same casket. Many days later, Tom wrote words that he felt God was dictating to him:

“Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, help me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home.”