ij

“PEACE BE STILL" -- IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND THERE WAS

THE SEA OF GALILEE.

——$——

IMMEDIATELY THE WIND DIED DOWN AND THE WAVES CEASED.

——

FROM OUT OF A BOAT CAME THESE WORDS, {

A VIOLENT STORM CHURNING

PEACE, BE STILL" AND

IT HAD BEEN EVENING, THE SUN WAS ABOUT TO SET AND A LABGE CROWD FOLLOWED JESUS,

WANTING TO BE HEALED, LISTENING FOR HIS WORDS OF TRUTH AND

WISDOM. HE HAD TOLD HIS

es

DISCIPLES THAT IT WOULD

__

GALILEE, THERE WAS WORK

WERE A NUMBER OF LITTLE

fssoor AS

THE SA OF GALILEA IS ACTUALLY AN OVERSIZED J

soars, AND STARTED ACROSS, THE BOJ

FISHING BOATS,

BIG AS A GOOD SIZE ROW oe Jay

FELL ASLEEP.

BE BEST IF THEY TRAVSLED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA OF

TO DO THERE ALSO, SO THEY GOT INTO A ou fs SAYS THERE

TS WERE MORE THAN LIKELY

bUS BEING V RY TIRED, QUICKLY

WAKE AND NORMALLY IS ONE OF

THE CALMEST BODIES OF WATER IN THE WORLD. BUT IN ITS PART]

CULAR GHOGRAPHIC LOCATION

IT IS FREQMENTLY SUBJECT TO HAPID AN VIOLENT STORMS,

FLOW DOWN FROM THE GREAT MOUNTAIN RANGES TO THE EAST, CHURN
— ~~

LESSLY WESTWAND CARRYING WITH THM LIFE GIVING MOLSTURE.

—

]

JiSUS AND HIS DISCIPLES

—_e—

TRAVELING ACHOSS THE LAKE THA

WITHOUT WARNING MASSES OF AIR

THE LAKE AND THE BLOW HARM-

T WAS THIS SITUATL ON THAT AROSE AS

p NIGHT.

WHEN THE STORM BECAMS 50 BAD THAT THEIR LITTLs I BOAT WAS FILLING WITH WATE? THE

TERRIFIED DISCIPLES WAKENSD J&SUS FROM HIS SLSEP AND ssf HE DID NO? CARs IF THEY
~ —— —

DROWNED! IT WAS THEN THAT HE ORDERED THE SSA AND THS WIND

DOUETING YET AMAZED DISCI PLS,
a a |

TO BH CALM a ssp HIS

20

IN PROTESTANT CHURCHES OF OUR TRADITION THERES IS ONE SUBJECT UPON WHICH NOT MUCH IS can

THAT IS THE MIRA

’
CLES/AND ESPECIALLY THE NATURE MIRACLES /O}

LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE. THE MIRACLES ARE GH ERALLY CONSIUEH

THAT IS BETTER LEFT ALONE. / PALHAPS I AM A LITTLE

HAVE DECIDED TO DISCUSS THIS MOST MAGNIFICENT OF ALL THE NN

MORNING.

BEFORE I BHGIN LST ME POINT OUT THAT TH MIRACLES ARE
yupensree?

Kh PROBBEM THAT CANNOT

THE ONES INVOLVING THE NATURAL

8) TO BS A TOUCHY SUBJECT, ONE

FOOL HARTY IN MY YOUTH, BECAUSE I

/.

SCGFS), THIER ARE QUESTILONS ASKED THAT SIMPLY DON'T HAVE ANSWERS. IN NO WAY WHATSOEVER’DO I

CLAIM TO HAVE AN INFALLIBLE ANSWER TO THESE QUEST. ms

MIRACLES LIKE THES REST OF THE sasufoomany PROFOUND TRUTH

se

/

DEEP AND RIGH MSANING FOR EV“RYONE OF US. LIKEWISE, IT 15

TION TO SEEK THAT MSANING. THE HOLY SCRIPTIR ES ARE MUCH J

GOLD. TH VIEN AT XIMHES PLACES LIES RIGHT ON THE SURFACE,

THE VIEN RUNS DEEP BELOW THE SURFACH/AND IF WE ARE 70 SES
Te eee oe

I HAVE IS A EaLTH-THAT THE

fr RSVELATIONS OF cn ,/

OUR. JO!

—

TO DISWSS, TO QUES-

IKE A VIEW OF COSTLY PRECISOUS

as peat, reatl, avalsble.

AT OTHER PLACES HOWEV=R

IT WE MUST DIG DEEP, STRUGGLING

TO uarstan.| AND OF COURSE THERE ARE PLACES WHERE THE WEIN RUNS SO DEEP THAT WE

WILL NEVER RECOVER refan SIMPLY GQiS BEYOND OUR PROWLKS ¢

AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE OBLIGATED TO ENGAGE IN THIS DIGGING,

——— ——

F REASON AND UNDERSTANDING,

THIS MINING morse

IS WHAT I HOPE WE CAN DO THIS MORNING: THINKING TOGSTHER URLVE INTO THE DEPTHS

a _

36

SEARCHING THi TRUTH THAT IS IN THIS STORYJ PERHAPS WE SHAL
WE SHALL DISCOVER THAT AT THIS_POINT THE VEIN RUNS TOO DEE

Pill

AT PRESENT THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS OF APPROACHIN

HAND IS THE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT CALLED CLASSICAL LIBERALISM.

. FIND oy wut PiSRHAPS

UR WEAKNESS AND

—_———-,

[saan IN O

WE CAN NEVER FULLY HOPE TO KNOW WHAT IS MEANT HERE.
: pests

k THE MIRACLES. ON THE ONE

THIS VIEW SIMPLY DENIES
——s,

THAT THERE WERE ANY MIRACLES; THE WH TERS OF THE NHW TESTAMENT MERELY MADE THEM UP
a —————— is

IN ORDER TO CONVINCE THEIR READELS THAT JESUS WAS SOMETHIN

; REALLY SPECIAL.

IF ONE

PUSHES THIS LINE OF THOUGHT IT IS EASY TO SEE THAT SOON ALI

| THE MIRACLES AND HEALINGS

———

ARE DONE AWAY Wit | si THE MIRACULOUS BIRTH AND OF OIR§

pS THE RESURRECTION. ALL

THINGS BUT iN THE LONG

WE ARE Li TWITH IS A GOO MAN NAMED JESUS WHO TAUGHT NICE
— i

RUN WAS NO BETTER THAN ALBERT SCHWEITZER OR GHANDI.
a ea

STANDING CLOSE TO THIS SCHOOL ARE THE MODERATE LIBERALS

- THERE VIEW Is THAT JESUS

PROBABLY HiALED THE sox USS AS EVIDENCE MODERN ACTS (

WHEN PROPERLY EMPLOY) |]

YY FAL TH HSALING, AND THE

ABRCISES COMPLETE CONTROL

RECENT@Y DISCOVERIES THAT THE MINI
eS ee

OVER THE BOY. I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED IF THESE PHOPLE ACTUAULY BELIEVE THAT A VIS THRE ED
—_— —

MIND COULD WHIP UP A CASE OF LEPROSY.

—

MIRACLES SUCH AS THE ONE WE ARE DISCUSSING TO AY.

THLS SGiOOL OF THOU
eatin

THESE AQ

HT SPS AT THE NAURE M

Ln

a

MIRACULOUS 2CTS OF JESUS

THAT CONTRADICTED THE WAY 4% NATURE ACTS, SUCH AS wALKING GN WATER, CALMING A STORM

THEY POINT OUT THAT 2,000

OR MAKING WATE: TURN INTO WINE.

‘

ne

YRS. AGO THERS

he

yy POINT OUT
The 7 SAT

WAS NO CONCEPTION OF A NATURAL LAW—~A GIVEN ORDER OF THINGS. ‘TODAY WE KNOW THAT THE

UNIVERSE OPERATES ACOORDING TO CERTAIN NAWRAL LAWS.

WHEY THE HUMIDITY AND BARMETRIC

PRESSURE ARS RIGHT THERE WILL BE PRECLPITATION. WHEN HYDSDGEN AND OXYGEN ARE COMBINED

wamient

IN THE RIGHT CONDITLONS THE RESULT( WITHOUT A DOUBT/WILL BIE WATER. THESE AME NATURAL

— eee

LAWS, AND BECAUSE OF THEM THE LIBERAL SCHOOL MUST DENY THAT THIS MIRACLE OR ANY

OTHER LIKE IT EVER HAPPEN 2D.

THEVE HAVE BEEN PEEBLE ATT S TO EXPLAIN THIS PHENOMENON BY CALLING IT A

ee eee

comNcIDENCE, | THE STORM JUST HAPPENED TO EXPIRE AS JESUS SP nce, / as I THINK IS JUST

NICE GUESS wRK AND NEED NOT BE CONSIDERED TOO S#RIOUSLY.

THE ABOVE TWO VIEWS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON, AN UNWAVERING FAITH IN HUMAN REASON.

THEY HO22 THAT

=

——— ed

THER IS NO HING IN THE UNIVERSE THAT CANNOT BE EXPLAINED AND UNDS5ST000. THUSLY

——<—<$—$—_

ANYTHING THAT CONTRADICTS OUR RH#ASON IS NOT TRUE. OUR MIND TELLS US THAT A STORM
-_ ei

CANNOT BE SILENCED UNTIL IT HAS SPENT rassua/ so THIS MIRACLES MUST NOT BE TURE.
pce A ae

AGAIN LET MS POINT HOW FIRMLY I BELIEVE THAT THE MXEM PEIN RUNS TOO DEEP TO
oe

_

/

f
MINE AT PLACES. THERE IS A REALM THAT IS OTHER THAN HUMANAAND WE OUR FRAIL MINDS

pr was
SIMPLY CANO? “COMPREHEND.

‘a

AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE SCALE FROM THESE VIMWS IS THAT OF THE STRICT CON-
et ——_ Fin saa

SERVATIVE OR OUT AND OUT FUNDAMENTALIST. ‘THIS PERSON LOOK$ TO THE BIBLE FOR HIS

——

HISTORY, SCIEN E AND PSYCHOLOGY, FOR HIM THE VEIN OF GOLD §IES AT THE SURFACE FROM

——_. == a

De

BEGINNING TO END/AND TO DIG IS WRONG. IF THE BB

4 pb! ev

Ls SAYS OD SLEW 185,000 ASSYRIANS AND

WE KNOW THAT THERE WERE NOT NEAR THAT MANY PSOPLE IN THE 3
_—_— — EEE

OUR FACTS AR: WRONG.

[rus IS NO MEANING wp mnzara, / ses

mAT,| 70 THINK ADOUT IT TOO MUCH IS A SIN, ID DON'T WANT

ee

THIS VIEW BECAUSE ITS LIMITATIONS ARS TOO OBVIOUS, BUT 121

IF ALL THE smoRPNS IS THAT JESUS HAD THE POWER TO STIL

DOESN'T HE SITLL A FSW OF THe MONSOONS THAT KILL HUNDREUS

NTIRE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE, THEN

S CALMEDTHE STORM AND THAT'S
TO SPEND TMB ARGUING AGAINST

ME STICK IN ONE QUESTION.

——<—<—<—<—

OF THOUSANDS OF ASIANS SVERY

“iF a
YEAR. WHY DOSN'T HE ELIMINATE THE ICE AND SNOW THAT ACOOWNT FOR A COUNTLESS NUMBER
DEATHS. — His san) IS GOD OPLTVIOUS TO HUMAN SUFSHRING? AS YOU CAN SEE THIS
a = es “ . a
{>

VIEW HARDLY ADEQUATE.

WORD, WITHOUT QUESTLONING IS NOT PICKING UP THE PRECIOUS G

HAS T@ 1S THE SOIL WHICH BEARS EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS GOLJ
———— a

THE PERSON WHO ACCEPTS EVERYTHING JIN THE BIBI a/ woRD FOR

OLD IN THE VELN--ALL HE

BELOW.

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THESE TWO EXTEMSS IS THE POSITION we

TO THINK AND TO STRUGGLE, KNOWING THAT THERE IS PROFOUND T
ee, ii

FORGSTTING THAT WE CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND ALL. AT PIACES TH

I CANNOT DECTATE TO YOU HOW YOU MUST HANDLE THE MIR ACL

TRIED TO MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT THEM SERIOUSLY. IN THS PINA

THING, ONE WHICH MUST BE RESOLVED BY SACH ONE OF US.

—<—

FE VEIN GOES TOO Di

MUST TAKE, WILLING TO DIG,
RUTH TO BE Hap:/ur NEVER
KS BUT I CAN AND HAVE

|. ANALYSIS IT IS A PERSONAL
i

6.
NOW LET'S GO BACK TO THE PLACE WHA WE BEGAN DIGGING §

MEANING THAT IS THERE. THE DISCIPLES HAVE WAKENED JESUS ]

STORM AND ONE HAS SAID’ TO HIN"TEACHER, DO YOU NOT CARE IF

IND SHE IF WE CAN DISCOVER THE

IN THE MIDST OF A GREAT

WE PERISH?"

——,

THE DISCL PLES WERE SCARED AND RIGHTLY SO, WE WOULD BE

AND IN WAKENING JESUS THEY TRLED TO COMMUNICATE THEIR FRI(

HIM IN THE PANIC! OF THE MOMENT, HOW MANY TIMEX HAVE we O

TRY TO INCLUDE GOD IN OUR pRicuTt HOW MANY OF OUR PRAYERS

.

WE ARS FACED WITH A CRISIS*-—PERSONALLY OR NA TLONALLY THE

—_ ———
_

THAT GOD DEN 'T CARG, HE MUST BE suserric ap WE TRY DESH

TO TiCLUDE HIM IN OUR PRE CAMENT. IN THE TIME OF WAR WE

TOO. THEY WERE NEAR PANIC
—_—_—_———.

FHT: THEY TRIED TO INCLUDE

ONE THIS? HOW OFTEN DO WE
ARH "PANIC earns WH EN

FIRST THING WE THINK IS

ALBATELY TO wAKEHIM UP TO

FEEL THAT GOD OUGHT TO BE
——_—___.

FRIGHTENED WITH US--RIGHT NOW WE WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT GOD IS AFRAID OF COMMUNISM

OVER RUNNING THE WORLD, OR OF ATOMIC ANNIHILAT ON.

TRUTH THAT GOD DOES NOT SHANE OUR PANIC.

SUCH ‘HINKING IS BLIND TO THE

LIKE A FATHER, Hi PITIES HIS CHILOREN, HE IS

+

SYMPATHETIC TO THEIR PROBLEMS AND TROUBLES BT HE 1S NOT Ayuto LIKE THEY ARK.

ONE OF THE PROFOUND JOYS OF CHILDHOOD IS THE COMFORT IN A FATHERS CO

= ae ——

CAN VIVIDLY REMSEiGER A PARTICULAR T

WOULD TELL US HOW TERRIBLE IT WOULD BE IF GERMANY WON, SHE
oe ELS 4.

AND AT 3:30 EVRY DAY I WOULD BE QUITE A

BACHER OF MINE WHO, DURING THE WAH |

NFIDENCE },

AFTah DAY

DWELT ON THE HORRORS OF

FRIGHTENSD LITTLE BOY.

NAZISM_IN D nana
———

—_—_

Te

WHEN I GOT HOME I WOULD BAM MY SOUL TO MY FATHER, TELLING
—_——rr ——— - |

TEACHER, BUT FOR SOM’ RESSON HE NEVER SHARED MY PANIC.
=—_— -

THAT MY FATHER WAS NOT AFRAID.

DOESN'T SHARE OUR

——$—$—

ALL I HAD HEARD FROM MY

WHAT A COMFORT IT WAS TO FEEL

THIS SAME COMFORT CAN BS QURS IF WE REALIZE THAT GOD

PANICK, OUR PRIVATES | JESUS WAS WIJH HIS DISCIPLES AS THEY

WERE TOSSED ABOUT

BY THE HOWLING WIND, BUT He WASN'T FRIGHTENED, AS A MATTER OF FACT

CE sTINC
HE WAS STeEeEEn.

IT IS THE SAMS ALWAYS, IN OUR COMPANY AIWAYS IS
er +

ONE THAT ISN'T AFRALD,

Me

GOD PARTICIPATES IN EVIRYTHING WE DO, BUT IN OUR DARKEST MOMENT HE 1S NOT AFRATD.

favre
(XY WE SHOULD BE AFRAID AT PRESENT

OF ATUMIC WAR, BUT INSTEAD_OF DRAGGING GOD INTO OUR FRIGH]

HIS PRESENCE COMMHT US.

CALM TO THE err HIS PRESENCE CAN DO THE SAME FOR US

KS WE FACE THE POSSIBILITY

| WE CAN DO BETTER TO Lat

JUST AS SHE PRESHICE OF JESUS Ly THS BOAT BROUGHT PEACE AND

A CONTEMPORARY PLAY RIGHT HAS CUILPPED "THAT WITH ALL QUR TECHNOLOGY AND ADVANCED

MECHINIZATION NO ONE HAS YET INVENTED A MACHINE THAT WLLL
————— z

SINCE THAT TIMS THERE HAS BEEN SUCH AN INVENTION THERS Is

ON SALE, OF ABSOLUTE AND UITER SLLENCE AND PPLE ARE WY]

LIVvEs|oun MINDS AND SPIRITS ARZ CHURNED BY GREAT S@

AND FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS, At) FAMILY PROBLEMS AND WORK PH

VERY FAVQRABLY TO THE Si4_OF GALILSA.

————

DUCE PHACE AND QUIET

ING I

A STERBZOPHONIC RECORD

m
ie

THS POIN? 1S THAT OUR

WH ARE TOSSED ABOUT BY WORRLSS

cuniee OUR LIVES COMPARE

8.

ONE OF THE DESP MEANINGS WE FIND IN THIS STORY IS THA!

' PEACE CAN BE o/c

BE CALM BECAUSE GOD IS NEAR. IN THIS @NTEXT THIS STORY QF FERS ENCOURAGEMENT BEYOND

COMPREHENSION. IN ALL OUR TROUSIB/IN THE ANXIETY AND GNI

MORROW WI WILL BRING, IN THE TRAGEDY OF THE DEATH OF A LOVED

Te

ANYTIME THE | nod >: LACE og, sa siiijoas 2 & HEARD IN THE LIF]

-

WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THE LITTLE BOAT THAT IS OUR LIFE.

WING WORRY ABOUT WHAT TO
a |

ON, IN ANY SITUATION AT
} THAT IS OPEN TO THEM.

—

GOD Is INIT WITH US. IF

WE KNOW AND BELIEVE cua ag NEED NOT BE AFRAID, THE WORDS

LASHING WAVES OF THE GALILEAN SEA AND THEN ECHOED IN THE 3
eee ———————————

—$$—__

THA RESOUNDED OVER THE

KACKFUL CALM CAN COME TO

——

US--PEACE BE $TiL.

AMEN .