In the boat

I have been thinking a lot about boats these past few days.

I work in what was once a little fishing village and across the road from the office sail boats sit on the promanade ready for fair weather sailing. At the other end of the bay is a port where cargo ships come and go, when the tides are right.

I have never been on a sailing boat, nor a cargo ship. My own boating takes a rather different form - my parents, siblings and I have a canal narrow boat, 56ft long and about 7ft wide, which we take cruising around the English & Welsh canal network each summer. My children learnt to steer the boat when they were still quite young; because they were a little too small to properly see over the top of the boat to see where they were going (even when standing on a step-stool), they always had a grown-up stand with them. My parents named the boat "Shammah", from the name given to the city at the end of Ezekial: Jehovah-shammah, The Lord is there. Whenever I am on the boat, I am reminded that God is there. Standing with us.

And God is there in the various boat images scattered throughout the bible. Jesus may have been a carpenter, but he certainly had a lot to teach the fishermen who were his friends about boats.

From my musings, I wrote this boat-themed poem today. Especially for two of my friends.


We left the harbour long ago
path mapped out with calmness
from security, into the vast unknown.
But in open seas we are tossed
by relentless storms with pounding waves
and exhausted, we long for stillness.

We dream of dropping anchor
but inertia could tip the balance
drag us, drowning, under
So we keep on moving
patch the sails and plough on through
alone in the endless fog.

In the eye of the storm,
silence dares us to pause
and take note, we are surrounded.
Here we stand and face the storm
supported by a mesh of rigging
formed from a host of interlinking hands.

We stand together in the boat
holding tight to woven cords of truth
strong enough to take the strain.
Hope echoing through history;
above the earthquake, thunder, rushing wind,
comes the gentle whisper.

He stands here with us,
commanding the wind and waves,
beckoning us on;
Be still.
Step out in faith.
The Lord is here.