Acts 27:33-44: a reflection

33While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. 34Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.” 35When he had said this and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all; then he broke it and began to eat. 36Then they all cheered up, and they also took food. 37In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship. 38When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. 39When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it. 40Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. 41But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves. 42The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape. 43But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land; 44and the rest should follow, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.

In the terror of a shipwreck, with the vessel breaking apart and everyone afraid for their lives, one man is a steadying presence: Paul. He urges the exhausted, frightened crew to eat, assuring them that not a hair of their heads will perish; and then, in front of them all, he takes bread, gives thanks to God, and begins to eat. And the effect is immediate: they all cheer up and take food. Paul's calm faith, grounded in God's promise that all would be saved, steadied the whole terrified company; his trust in God gave courage to those around him.

Notice how Paul's calm faith steadied others in the crisis. In the midst of terror, Paul was not overcome; he trusted God's promise that all would be saved, and his calm, grounded in that trust, spread to the others. He encouraged them to eat, gave thanks to God openly, and by his steadiness gave them courage; they cheered up and took heart. His faith in God, calmly held in the crisis, was a steadying, encouraging presence to the frightened crew. One person's trust in God, in the midst of danger, gave courage to many.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can be, like Paul, a steadying presence to others in a crisis, grounded in trust in God. When crisis or danger strikes, and those around us are afraid, we can either add to the fear or, like Paul, be a calm, encouraging presence, grounded in trust in God. Paul's faith steadied the whole ship. In times of crisis, seek to be a steadying, encouraging presence to those around you, grounded in trust in God, as Paul steadied the terrified crew by his calm faith. Let your trust in God, calmly held in the midst of danger, be an encouragement to others, giving them courage, as Paul's faith gave courage to the frightened company; be, in crisis, a steadying presence grounded in trust in God, rather than adding to the fear, as Paul gave thanks and ate calmly, and the whole ship took heart.

Lord, in the terror of a shipwreck, with the vessel breaking apart and everyone afraid for their lives, one man is a steadying presence: Paul. He urges the exhausted, frightened crew to eat, assuring them that not a hair of their heads will perish; and then, in front of them all, he takes bread, gives thanks to you, and begins to eat. And the effect is immediate: they all cheer up and take food. Paul's calm faith, grounded in your promise that all would be saved, steadied the whole terrified company. Show me how Paul's calm faith steadied others in the crisis. In the midst of terror, Paul was not overcome; he trusted your promise, and his calm, grounded in that trust, spread to the others. He encouraged them, gave thanks to you openly, and by his steadiness gave them courage. His faith in you, calmly held in the crisis, was a steadying presence. One person's trust in you gave courage to many. Take that to my heart, for I can be, like Paul, a steadying presence to others in a crisis, grounded in trust in you. When crisis or danger strikes, and those around me are afraid, I can either add to the fear or, like Paul, be a calm, encouraging presence, grounded in trust in you. In times of crisis, help me be a steadying, encouraging presence to those around me, Lord, grounded in trust in you, as Paul steadied the terrified crew. Let my trust in you, calmly held in the midst of danger, be an encouragement to others.