Jesus Is In The Storm

Matthew 14:22-33

Hymnwriter and Methodist Pastor, Rev. John Thornburg, tells this story about his time helping Cameroonian Methodists to develop a hymnal. A part of that process involves going through every song being considered for the hymnal, translating it if necessary, and discussing what it is saying from a theological standpoint. Each song that goes into a hymnal is scrutinized for poetry, music, and what it says about God, ourselves, and God’s relationship with us.

Rev. Thornburg shared with me a story about his experience with Thérese Nomo, a 27 year old french speaking Cameroonian who was, in his words, a “song enlivener” of Sion Église Methodiste Unie (Zion United Methodist Church). She was the pastor’s wife, a mom, and a seamstress. Without any formal music training, she still wrote songs and led singing at her church. She was a vital part of this hymnal coming to life.

One of the songs she wrote that made it in the hymnal was called “Dans la Barque avec Jésus,” or “In the Boat with Christ My Lord,” a song that reflected on the story of Jesus stilling the storm in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. 

One of Thornburg’s roles in developing this hymnal became translating the french of many songs being presented into English. And he encountered a bit of difficulty with this song. The literal translation into english from Nomo’s french was a bit unwieldy when paired with the music. Thornburg's original translation from French to a sung English for “Dans le Barque” became, "In the boat with christ my Lord, on the calm and placid sea, all is well both in this hour, and for all eternity. Aieeyo! All is well, in this hour. Aieeeyo! And for all eternity." 

It references the text with Christ having calmed the storm by singing "calm and placid sea." Everyone seemed to love it, Nomo said she liked it. But it goes without saying that there was a relational gap between John and many on this committee when he first started joining their effort. Being American, being relatively wealthy, being one of the main reasons this hymnal initially would come together, how could any of those on this committee like Nomo be comfortable challenging or correct him? So off it went to be sung and tested in congregations. 

Americans who sang it over the next five years as they continued to fundraise for this hymnal loved it. So, five years after the fact, it came time to work through each song they would put in the hymnal and make sure it fit and “Dans La barque” came up. Thornburg looked to Nomo and asked if it was right. And at that point, after five years of real relationship with Thornburg, no longer seeing him as a distant authority but as a friend, Nomo finally raised her voice to say, "No Reverend! Pendant l'orage!” (No Pastor! DURING the storm!) It is sweet in the boat DURING the storm. Not after. Why sing of a calm and placid sea? 

Nomo's entire life was a storm. And like so many others who seemed to have such ease in feeling God's presence and knowing God's providence, Nomo’s song found sweetness with Jesus DURING the pain. Her relationship with Jesus was not a transaction where Jesus waves a magic wand and ends the storm,Nomo sang of sweetness because she knew Jesus DURING hardship, DURING pain, DURING the storm.

Pendant l'orage.

I am reading through Matthew 14 and the story of Jesus walking on water this week. While “Dans le Barque” was certainly referring to a previous story in Matthew where Jesus was sleeping in the boat, woke up and calmed a storm, in Matthew 14, Jesus was walking on the water of very choppy dangerous seas as well. Matthew 14 is a storm story involving Jesus too, and I am starting to notice that there are a number of things Matthew repeats in his Gospel which, I am assumming, means they are important. One is Jesus’ insistence for mercy over sacrifice. Another is the two stories of Jesus miraculously feeding hungry crowds. And finally, there are two stories of Jesus’ presence during storms and his power in stilling them.

What I am seeking to remember as the “storms of life” rage around me, around US, is to remember that Jesus’ presence is not always in the midst of placid calm. Jesus is not only with us when the storm is over, Jesus is in the boat as the storm surges. When we are sinking on the water, it’s Jesus’ hand reaching out to grasp ours. 

Jesus is with us in the storms of our own lives. And I believe Jesus is with us amidst the times we are living as well—with all of it’s political turmoil and social upheaval.

And to that, I say thanks be to God.