FROM THE PULPIT: Maritime miracles in stormy times

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Ammittai, ‘Go to the city of Ninevah and preach.’ ... But Jonah ran away from the Lord.” -- Jonah 1:1-3a.

The Jonah text is Jewish evangelism -- not two words I usually put together. Rather like Presbyterian evangelism. It seems you are either born into, or marry into, the tribe.

Boldly declaring our faith, in words, to other people? Us? It’s optional, right?

Yet, the story of Jonah is a clear reminder that long before Pentecostal evangelists set up tents and hauled in sawdust and used funeral home chairs, God was calling upon Jonah to organize an Old Testament crusade. Before bands came together for White Flag or George Beverly Shea warmed up to bring it home for Billy Graham, God asked Jonah to put together the Nineveh Redemption Tour.

God shared some ideas about the posters: “Thousands will be saved!” “Bring your cattle!” “Special blessing of pets!” “Special meditational music by Pod of Whales.”

God thought Jonah was typing notes, when actually Jonah was booking a Tarshish cruise on Travelocity.com. Jonah hightailed it to the port, got on board the repositioning ship, and went to sleep.

Though nothing showed up on the radar, a violent storm came upon the boat. Jonah, still under the effects of the champagne and Ambien, was blissfully sleeping while the crew was tossing cargo. They were doing anything to save lives. They were praying to any god they knew. They enlisted everyone’s help in jettisoning freight and lifting prayers. Jonah, somewhat akin to Dr. Seuss’ Jojo Who’s not joining in on the “We’re here!” prayer, didn’t even offer up a “Yoop!”

Long story short, Jonah resumed the evangelism, eventually, and somewhat reluctantly -- the NineRedTrXtreme crusade. People, and cattle, were spared. The king led the National Day of Prayer. The whale became a motivational speaker in whale circles.

Who knows where the jettisoned cargo ended up.

Fast forward to the New Testament, to the Book of Acts, Chapter 27, verses 13 and following. Paul is on an evangelism tour. Same song, second verse: Storm, panic, cargo jettisoned, prayers offered.

This time, Paul is the one to pray first, rather than last. No whale in this story, yet all survive. People come to faith; God is praised. No idea what happened to the cargo.

Fast forward about 18.5 centuries: A little island, with special spiritual properties and a complicated history, is seeing an attempt at a building program. The war is on. All supplies are going to the government.

Yet, George MacLeod is pressing forward with his vision of taking seminarians and homeless/unemployed men and forming them into an intentional community of faith and work. He is not working on a crusade, but a movement, a model. It is organic, local and intentional. It deals with issues of class, education, culture, patrimony and tradition. Gaps need to be bridged by conversation, self-exploration, scripture reading, prayer and physical work.

The last part, the work, was dependent upon supplies, which were in short supply. They are at a standstill. They need wood, lumber.

Iona is an island with almost no trees, but sheep and grass a-plenty. Stones are everywhere. But unless you are the Aztecs, you need hefty timbers, studs and flooring. They prayed for supplies.

Oddly enough, a Norwegian merchant marine supply ship had been caught in a storm. Like with Jonah, like with Paul, they jettisoned cargo in order to save lives. The easiest thing to get to was the lumber meant for the war effort.

MacLeod and his odd gaggle of believers had prayed. What else was there to do but to petition God?

I cannot say that MacLeod’s community invoked the ancient Celtic practice of wading out into the water three times daily (and reciting 50 Psalms per dip) in the turquoise, yet quite cold, waters. But someone came running back. Timbers! Wood washed up! Prayers answered! Praise to God from whom all blessings flow! Just like the whale delivered Jonah to the right place, the North Sea currents brought the prayed-for lumber to Iona. The abbey was built, like it had always been there.

You might need an individual prayer answered. You might be in a monsoon of struggle. Pray.

Yet, on a broader level, what is the chance that what we need to more deeply become a community that deals with its jettisoned people and the differences of race, culture, color, class, ethnicity, education and patrimony in honest conversation, getting to know each other far better, and having some mutual work?

It’s optional, right? And, if it seems like some of the supplies or ingredients are missing, who knows but that God, and the currents, have not things already headed our way?

God’s love is not in short supply.

Jarred Hammet is the pastor of Macon’s Northminster Presbyterian Church.

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 10:09 PM with the headline "FROM THE PULPIT: Maritime miracles in stormy times ."