How does Noah’s Ark speak to the situation we are in today? Well, God had asked Noah and his family to move into the Ark. They would live in tight quarters and they had no idea how long they would be on the water. While the instructions to build the Ark had many details, they did not come with a handbook for weathering the storm.
Many people regard the story of the Ark as fictional, arguing that the details are unfathomable, bringing up the impracticality of feeding all the animals - and many other details that seem impossible.
But Noah was not doing ordinary work and these were not ordinary times. Noah was fulfilling God’s command.
During these times, in 2021, we may stop to consider what God is asking of us.
In many ways, the past year feels like a floating ark. We have learned to live with the minimum. We have limited our social circles, our activities, and sadly in many cases, we cannot see family members that we love dearly.
Medical professionals and first responders have been bombarded with extra work and endless shifts for almost a year.
We have done our best to keep our family and neighborhoods happy and comfortable. But during these months, we have had glimpse into how Noah’s family must have felt: tired of the limited space, and downright exhausted by the demands of everyday life in this previously inconceivable situation.
Noah and his family were no doubt weary and fearful at times, feeling stuck and uncertain on this larger-than-life floating zoo.
Many of us, right now, are frustrated and tired with our changed world.
How long will I work from home? How long will I be laid off? How soon can we get back to school? How can I keep my family’s spirits up? Will my infected family member get better? Will I survive this? Why is God letting this happen?
We do not have ready-made answers to these questions. However, we do have God’s promise of the rainbow, and the promise of His presence with us.
We know that a rainbow does not exist without the rain, but we are confident that God’s promises never fail.
Tomorrow, we will begin the journey of Lent, a journey to bring our fears and challenges to God, who cherishes our most guarded questions and worries.
In today’s gospel, Jesus tells His disciples to remember the miracles He has performed and to understand the power of His presence. And He invites them and us to leave everything to Him.
When He is present, there are no limitations but abundance, no frustrations but the hope of a new life, secure in God’s Ark!
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