Shipwrecked

I titled this first blog shipwrecked in honor of our very first blog that we published when we lived in Malta from 2006 - 2010 (unoriginally based on Acts 28:1). You can still find its remnants at shipwrecked.typepad.com (if you want to peruse some of the photo albums, the username is malta and the password is welcome). But as I reflect, it seems like shipwrecked is an appropriate way to begin this blog.

Shipwrecked on the shores of COVID-19. All of my plans (and I’m sure yours as well) for the next couple of months have been shipwrecked. Some have pieces that will survive and be used as the parts of a new ship. Others are simply gone.

Shipwrecked along with my neighbors. The last four years of my life have been lived in a small rural town where more than 20 languages and dialects are spoken. Many of the people in my community have experienced the shipwreck (sometimes literally) of forced displacement. Their lives have been uprooted by violence and poverty and they are in the process of recovering. Living life with my neighbors can at times be heart-wrenching as families are separated and the toll of trauma begins to resurface in debilitating ways. Other times I am infuriated by systems, policies, and prejudices that actively work against people establishing a place to rebuild their shipwrecked lives. Yet, it is a great privilege to get in the mud and pick up the broken pieces together as we dare to hope.

Shipwrecked on the rock of Jesus. When I was younger, following Jesus meant experiencing his presence in very difficult circumstances, finding comfort and learning to be a good Christian. The shipwreck that I began to experience happened halfway through our time in Malta. Jesus made it clear to me that my views of life and ministry and, most importantly, of him were woefully inadequate for the injustices of the world. Since then, waves have crashed me up against the rock of Jesus. My thoughts, emotions, and habits are crushed by his great mercy that won’t allow me to ignore him and the transforming work he desires to do in me.

There is always hope in shipwreck; always a remnant, a piece to hold onto. Something that is the foundation of what is being recreated by the Spirit, through the Son, and for the glory of the Father. As my family and I have followed Jesus across continents we have experienced the shock of shipwreck and his great mercy and compassion that restores.

What shipwrecks are you experiencing? Who’s in the mud with you? Is hope on the horizon?

What shipwrecks are your neighbors experiencing? Are you in the mud with them? Is hope on the horizon?