Rebuke the Wind, Speak to the Waves

Polycrises. This is a term used by the international development sector to describe the multiple crises facing our world.

It’s an appropriate term that needs very little explaining or unpacking. It is, essentially, what it looks like: a word made up by combining two words. 'Poly' means 'many' or 'multiple', and 'crises' is the plural of 'crisis'.

One does not need to look too far or too deep into the headlines or too far across the globe to appreciate the relevance of this term. We are experiencing polycrises. Frequently, these crises are summarised by Conflict, Climate, and Contagion.

There are militarised conflicts happening around the world – some are in our headlines, most are not. These conflicts have a direct impact on thousands, if not millions, of people. There are the direct results of death, injury, damage to infrastructure, loss of homes, mass displacement, etc. But this is only the beginning. There are long-term impacts on a nation’s healthcare, education systems, reduction in local economies, immigration, and the list goes on.

But the multiple conflicts around the world are only part of the polycrisis. Immigration of refugees and displaced people and various attempts to address this challenge are another form of crisis. The earth’s changing weather patterns are causing acute, catastrophic weather events which form another crisis.  

The contagion referred to can not only include the risk of a global public health crisis but can also be the sociological dysfunctions that seem to be forcing us all to extreme polarisation and isolationism.  

These are seismic challenges facing our world – most of which our children and grandchildren will be forced to grapple with.

I frequently ask the Lord about these crises. What would he have us do? The Church is often at the forefront of a response to a crisis, demonstrating compassion, helping with healing and humanitarian aid. But is there something we can do to help prevent the crises from happening in the first place? How can we, His Church, speak into these crises?

One lesson I’ve been reflecting on is the familiar story of when Jesus calmed the storm. The story is told in three of the New Testament books: Matthew 8:23, Mark 4:35, and Luke 8:22. You’re probably familiar with it, but there are a couple of details that I find fascinating.

Jesus and his disciples were in a boat going across a body of water (some call it a sea, some call it a lake) that was known for being susceptible to quickly forming storms caused by high winds. The authors tell us that such a storm quickly arose, and the disciples were so afraid they thought they were going to be overcome by the storm and die at sea. Keep in mind that at least three of these men grew up working on this lake as professional fishermen.

At the height of their fear, Jesus is woken from his sleep and observes the problem. The sea is so choppy and the waves are so strong that the boat is on the verge of being overturned and the men are at risk of being thrown overboard. In response, Jesus does something unexpected. He rebukes the wind and speaks peace to the waves (Mk 4:39).

In the chaos of the turbulence, Jesus cut through the fear, the reactivity, and the panic with a clear identification of the source of the problem. The waves were not the problem. The wind was the problem. The waves were a symptom of the problem.

The disciples likely felt they were in a polycrisis. The storm was raging, and in the darkness of night it was hard to see how to navigate the boat. The winds were so strong it was difficult to control the sail and the rudder. The waves were so strong some may have lost their hold and risked going over the side. And, given the size of the waves, the boat was likely filling with water.

For the disciples who were not experienced fishermen, this moment of polycrisis could likely have been a defining moment of outright terror. It would be easy to understand why they may have put all their focus on trying to address the problems caused by the waves. That is natural. That is what was seemingly in their realm of control.

This is, after all, how we so often deal with crises. Respond to the symptoms. Address what we can. Focus our efforts on the things we can impact.

But Jesus demonstrated an approach that I am eager to learn more about. He elevated his observation to see beyond the natural. He had the clarity to recognise that the waves were a symptom of another problem that he needed to address. And, with supernatural wisdom and confidence in his identity, he rebuked the wind.

In the polycrises facing our current contexts, could there be ‘winds’ blowing which are creating havoc, fear, and panic?  I have been increasingly asking the Lord to identify these and show me how to address them.

How often do I pray for help, for rescue, for a calming of the storm that I am in? Is it possible that the answer to my prayers for rescue lies in my ability to discern where I need to declare a rebuke and where I need to speak peace?