When We Keep Rocking The Boat

A few days ago I texted a friend in Effingham, Illinois, to check on him as powerful tornadoes tore through the area. He told me that his family and parishioners were spared. Around the same time, another friend in the United Kingdom told me about the unprecedented heat wave affecting parts of Europe. Then came news of Venezuela's devastating earthquake, claiming hundreds of lives. Amid so many disasters, I cannot help but wonder: Has the world always been this crazy?

Some of these tragedies are beyond human control. Yet others invite us to reflect on our own responsibility. Scientists continue to warn that human activity contributes to climate change, which has been associated with more intense extreme weather events. We are responsible for the way we treat the world God entrusted to us.

As if nature's fury were not enough, we continue to create storms of our own. Acts of arson, industrial accidents, and human negligence leave behind thick clouds of smoke and ashes. Wars continue to rage. Peace negotiations stall before our eyes. Meanwhile, political tensions escalate. Some interpret these as apocalyptic signs, while others see conspiracy theories. In doing so, I notice a tendency to shrug off personal responsibility for the wounds we inflict on one another.

I wonder what it is about us that we cannot be still. Why is it so difficult for us to coexist in peace and honor both one another and God's creation? Right when things begin to settle, when peace seems within reach, we reopen old wounds, revive old conflicts, and create new divisions. We stir the waters again.

The Gospels tell us that when the disciples were about to drown, Jesus rebuked the wind, calmed the storm, and steadied the boat. Christ did His part. He steadied the boat, but we keep rocking it.

Perhaps the greatest danger is not the storm around us but the restlessness within us that keeps us rocking the boat.

May we learn to value stillness and embrace peace so that our boat remains steady.