Jesus, Save Us!

Here is Ludolf Backhuysen's painting of Jesus Calming the Stormy Sea as told in the Gospels of Matthew (4:35-41), Mark (8:23-27) and Luke (8:22-25). In each of the three, the disciples call out to the sleeping Jesus, but it is only in Matthew's Gospel that they implore Jesus saying: "Save us."

Words like save and salvation have become a kind of specialized vocabulary (Church-talk) that forms a disconnect with people today, especially young people. Ask folks what save and salvation mean and at best we might hear a word or two about Jesus dying on the cross to save us from our sins so we can go to heaven. Without denying that, I'd suggest save  and salvation have to do with today and right now, long before having anything to do with going to heaven. Save and salvation are interior realities and very personal to each of us.

Save means "Get me out of here." In 1975 I was rushing back to the seminary in my bright yellow Volkswagon Beetle to make the midnight curfew, when I made a wrong turn and wound up in a neighborhood that was dark, de-populated, decrepit and utterly terrifying. I drove frantically up and down streets hoping to find my way back to a familiar road, the sense of danger and doom increasing, when I felt this deep inside prayer-urge that cried out: "Get me out of here."  That's asking for salvation in a most basic way.

But then we allow that desperate prayer to reflect inner realities:

Jesus, get me out of this need for 

prestige,

notoriety,

and acceptance.

Jesus, get me out of this
money-love,

my obsession with work,

my inability to be alone,
my disinterest in others.

Jesus get me out of this idolatry of

sports,

shopping,

food,
guns,

talking.

And for younger people: 
get me out of this worship of
media fun,
entertainment and peer acceptance

Jesus, get me out of the chattering

monkey-mind of judgments,

and assessing everyone and everything.

Jesus, get me out of the resentments

I harbor and the

victim-hood I nurture,

my inner whining,

and negative complaining.

Jesus, get me out of this dark cloud mode,

my inner tempest,

all my worrisome regrets,
and the masks I wear.

Jesus, get me out of this inner neighborhood

of fears, 
discontent,

addiction,

fantasy and bad-humor...

and put me on the right road,
the sure path, 
of joy,

peace,
healing,

restored dignity,

light and

balance.

Now look again at the painting. The little boat (of my life) is ready to go under - it is being swamped by violent waves (can you name it for yourself?), the sail is maxed-out and already there is an opening in the ominous sky (look to the left) and a lovely, hopeful light is breaking through. Salvation is already at hand. Everything will be alright!