THE SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT
(Sexagesima)
22th February 2025
Greetings.
Tomorrow's gospel text is Luke's account of The Storm on the Lake (ch.8.22-25). In an age of regular violent storm, flood, drought and fire, we may need little reminder of the tempestuous character of the elements. But we do need reminding of the correct order of things. When Jesus rebukes the wind and sea and all is calm, the disciples are understandably, awestruck. They have witnessed healing miracles before, but this is of a different order; even the wind and sea obey him! The miracle is a dramatic demonstration of the sovereignty of God the Creator, revealed in Jesus. And the disciples are not only awestruck, they are deeply humbled.
At the outset, as Jesus slept and the boat was filling with water, the disciples cried, Master, Master, we are perishing! They were skilled boatmen who had known that lake all their lives but in that instance their skill was to no avail. Are we also perishing? In the age of Artificial Intelligence, human skill and ingenuity rushes on apace but our emotional intelligence, individually and collectively, does not change. We are no different from our ancestors, and like them, we too must learn the grace of humility before God. All the technical knowledge in the universe does not alter the fact that God is God and we are God's creatures. Our wellbeing is not ultimately dependant on ever-growing sophistication but on the humble and joyful recognition of our true status before God. May God grant us grace to grow in the knowledge of this truth.
Every blessing,
Charles Booth
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