The philosopher Pascal once quipped, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” Pascal’s deliberate hyperbole contains a truth that is perhaps more evident in our time than in his. While we seem to find ourselves more alone and more lonely than in previous generations, we are hardly quiet or at rest. We seem addicted to lives of endless distraction, especially on screens, an addiction that makes us less capable of being silent, still, and attentive.
Adopting the popular and valuable language of Western liberal democracies by redefining terms like anti-corruption, human rights, democracy, and integrity — even when self-evidently disingenuous — provide countries the cover to mimic the mechanisms of good governance while blunting efforts to hold authoritarian regimes accountable.
“What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” – Helen Keller
I often find myself reflecting on the nature of grief, its unpredictable tides that ebb and flow with a rhythm known only to the heart. Grief is not a straight path but a labyrinth, where one wanders, often feeling lost and alone. It’s crucial to recognize that grief wears many masks – anger, sorrow, numbness, and even laughter. Each person’s journey through it is as unique as a fingerprint, and understanding this complexity is the first step in offering genuine support.
Jesus sends His disciples away from the crowd for several reasons. The crowd is apparently willing to use violence to accomplish their goals (John 6:15). Involving the disciples in political unrest would put them in the crosshairs of the Roman Empire (John 11:48). More than anything else, however, Jesus probably doesn’t want them to let the crowd’s adoration feed their egos (Matthew 20:20–28; Luke 22:24). All of Christ’s miracles are attached to a spiritual lesson, and this one will be no different. Removing His disciples from the situation solves all three of these problems at the same time (Matthew 14:22).
Jesus’ feeding of more than five thousand people (John 6:9-14) is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. That provides additional context for the incident described here in the gospel of John. The disciples are sailing to the other side of the Sea of Galilee specifically according to the instructions of Jesus (Mark 6:45). They are not disobeying Him, nor are they making an unwise assumption about His will. Jesus told them to get into a boat and head across the water. This is an important lesson about the nature of trials and hardships: not all suffering is the result of disobedience. In fact, sometimes obedience leads us directly into a storm.
Likewise, according to the gospel of Mark, Christ is watching them during their struggle (Mark 6:45–48). John writes his entire gospel under the assumption that the reader is familiar with the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This is why the next verse (John 6:17) will simply state that Jesus “had not yet come” out on the water. Even while the men were afraid, and agonizing over their situation, they were under His watchful eyes.
JcgregSolutions 