We’ve Been through a Storm

2 Chronicles 20:1-12  

Rev. Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan

When some dramatic event occurs, some pastors preach whatever they had planned to preach regardless of any news-worthy happening. But most preachers, on such occasions, spend time pacing the floor trying to figure out what the congregation needs to hear now. The situation this week was particularly challenging because of the long period of waiting and uncertainty. We didn’t know what might have happened by the time Sunday worship rolled around. I decided that the uncertainty of the storm was an important ingredient for all of us. We are hearing three scriptures today, because they give us different perspectives on situations where storms are threatening. Revelation 13:1-10 paints a metaphoric vision of a beast, a symbol of state power, threatening the faithful people of God, even making war on the saints and conquering them. The writer’s call in the midst of such a threat is to hold on to our faith and endure. A good word when any storm threatens. Mark 4:35-41 shows disciples (a number of boats of them, so not just the Twelve) in a terrific storm. Jesus is with them, asleep, in the boat. We often focus on the disciples’ awakening Jesus who then stills the storm. But today, let’s note the fact that Jesus was there all along and when the disciples panic, his response is to ask why they are afraid and to chide them for not having faith. Perhaps Jesus doesn’t need to be awakened, but rather the disciples’ faith needs to be awakened. Life teaches us that Jesus does not still every storm. People die in all manner of storms throughout the world – faith or no faith. The disciples’ faith is not that Jesus will save them, but that Jesus is with them, always. These are wonderful passages of scripture to calm us during life’s storms. But here is the question and the passage of scripture I kept returning to all week as I thought about the storm What do we do when the storm we are facing in all probability could destroy us? From the 20th chapter of the book of 2nd Chronicles, listen for the word of God. 

After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; already they are at Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi). Jehoshaphat was afraid; he set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the towns of Judah they came to seek the Lord. Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven? Do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hand are power and might, so that no one is able to withstand you. Did you not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? They have lived in it, and in it have built you a sanctuary for your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before you, for your name is in this house, and cry to you in our distress, and you will hear and save.’ See now, the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you have given us to inherit. O our God, will you not execute judgment upon them? For we are powerless against this great multitude that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

We have been through a storm. For the second time in too brief a span, we experienced a frightening period of potential disaster. The increased ability of weather forecasting is definitely a mixed blessing. People are eager to know what is happening; where is it going to happen; how much time do they have and what should they do. But at the same time, knowing days and days ahead that something terrible is going to happen somewhere, starts cranking up people’s nerves. Millions of us were living in uncertainty and dread for days, watching “cones of possible attack” play out on our screens. It sort of felt like that Beast in Revelation 13, raising its ugly head, getting ready to attack. “Make war” is what the writer said. And many of us felt like an attack was coming. We listened to guidance and followed advice. Some headed for shelters, a few got strong words from people who love them to evacuate. So many of us were preparing for the worst, and waiting. And waiting, for hours and hours. Anxiety rising. Finally, the wind and rain got seriously stirring. Then it got worse. Then the calm of the eye for a lovely, quiet period. And then (excuse me) it sounded like all hell broke loose.

For lots of us, listening in the dark, as things grown large in our imaginations beat against our roofs and rattled our houses, we wondered how much damage was happening. When it finally calmed enough so we could sleep, we drifted off, thanking God we were still alive, although nervous about what we would find when we investigated in the morning light. And when morning came, some found little damage and some found heartbreaking (bank account breaking) damage. Those who had electricity saw television reports of horrendous damage up and down the coast and across the state, but admitting it could have been much worse. And now we are doing the best we can to re-establish normality. Friends, we came through a storm.

            But storms are universal. The truth is, all sorts of tempests erupt in lives everywhere. People in Southeast Asia are recovering from cyclones they experienced in recent months. In India, monsoons have not followed their predictable schedule in recent years, meaning storms of drought and floods are bankrupting people there. Volcanoes have erupted in Iceland and Hawaii in the past year threatening lives and livelihoods.

But the worst kinds of storm happen between people. Storms can erupt in churches when the music committee decides to supplement the organ with an occasional guitar, flute, and drum piece. They can erupt in families when a parent gives an interest-free loan to one of the children to start a business venture that the other children sense is a failure waiting to happen. Even worse, storms occur when one country decides to attack another. Think of the tens of thousands of people in Gaza who know missile attacks will happen, but they have no idea when the next will come or where it will hit. They have no “cone of possible attack” predicting what Israel will do next. They only know they are not really safe anywhere. The storm of war is constant for them.

Since storms are happening all the time, Christians need to remember what Dan read just a short while ago from Mark. Jesus is always in the boat with them – no matter what boat they have gotten themselves into. When people finally remember to turn to him, they worry he is asleep, ignoring what is raging around them. They call out, “Don’t you care that I am in serious trouble here?” And Jesus responds, “What are you afraid of? Don’t you have any faith?” The promise is not that Jesus will still every storm – as attractive as that would be. The promise is that Jesus is right there, too. Right there, in the storm, which could capsize the boat or ruin everything; but still, there he is. He never abandons his people. They just need to trust him, because storms are going to keep happening.

            So, we look to God. We keep our eyes fixed on God. Some of us focus easier on Jesus Christ, because of his human presence, but either way, we keep our eyes locked on the divine. I love the moment in 2 Chronicles when the king is completely stumped. Three territorial groups join together to attack Judah, which they will easily overrun. Jehoshaphat knows Judah’s fate is sealed. All he can do is fall down before God, admit his impending defeat, and lock his eyes on God. Then no matter what happens, he knows he is connected to his strength, his compassionate creator, who surrounds him with love. When a storm is shaking our house apart; or our pension fund disappears; or a family member is diagnosed with something incurable – we absolutely don’t know what to do. So we look to God. Of course, that isn’t all we do. In any storm, we learn all we can, we reach out to each other in supportive care, we do our best preparations, but most importantly we trust God has also locked the divine vision on us.

A person who called from California Wednesday to check on her Sarasota friend said, “You and God are going to become good friends now,” but truthfully, in a storm, we are stronger if the one we are focused on is one we already know well. We know those moments in movies when a lead character says, “Hello God, I know we haven’t talked in a long time, but could you please help me out here?” Might be a good movie technique, but any person trying to pray in a crisis is more likely to feel the contact if they have connected with God with some frequency through the years. This doesn’t mean every time we lock eyes on God we will be saved from the storm. But it does mean every time we will know the storm does not have final say. Strong forces may be calling our attention away from God, but every time we open our heart,.. our eyes,.. our mouths.. to God, every time, we connect. Prayer establishes friendship with God, connects us with the source of life. Every time. When our eyes are on God, when our focus is strictly on God and we allow the rest of the situation to fade away, then we know we can survive anything, no matter what.