The Boat

The Boat

The boat was full, as it hit the high seas, the wind was roaring around the wooden structure emphasising the fragility of the moment, the need to go out to sea was urgent, the hungry needed food, the work was necessary, with trepidation the skipper set sail and the souls behind him cowered in fear.

The boat was saturated with people, desperate ones looking for new life, retreating, fleeing from tyranny, the sides of the boat paper thin, the roar of the waves threatened to overwhelm, children wrapped around the hearts of their mothers cried, fathers looked ahead, don’t cry, they whispered, it will all be ok, words lost to the mournful screaming of the channel winds that captured the fear.

The boat far out at sea, the fish hauled in, the disciples chattering words lost in the fierce wind, the storm was reaching its peak. St Peter was the one to speak, “wake Lord do you not care we are sinking, save us.” A prayer? Or a desperate plea for help. The Christ awoke, walking to the front of the boat, he spoke to the storm, and the wind dropped and the sea became calm again, “have courage” he said with a smile, “do not fear.”

By now the tiny boat full with people, was rocking to and fro. The darkness of the night was smothering the hope, the danger to life extreme, a prayer was whispered in the silence of desperation, Then shouts from other boats coming along side, the media conducting interviews for entertainment, demanding to know where they had come from. Then to the shore and blankets wrapped around the hearts of mothers hugging their frightened children. They are led to an unknown fate, a smiling face welcomes to this strange new place, behind bars and forms and procedures and rules and guidelines, Do not fear, there is room for everyone here, but I think they are filed with fear and having risked so much, their fear is overwhelming. I pray today, may kindness, love and our shared humanity take away from all peoples, seekers of refuge, and potential neighbours too, misguided suspicion and all useless fear.

Fr Patrick Brennan 2020 ©

To flee from oppression and look for a new place to be safe and secure. This is the inspiration for the above words. All peoples should be treated with dignity and solutions found to help remove fear. People matter and when this is written in all hearts regardless of where or who then the world be a better place.

The first and third verse are inspired by the gospel with the disciples at sea and Jesus asleep. The second and fourth verses are refugees fleeing and seeking a place for a new life. Fear is the dominant emotion. Jesus calms the fear of the disciples, and those words of Jesus lived out in faith by those inspired by his words today are needed to remove the fear experienced by those who flee from oppression today.