Peace in the Face of War

the directions of the Lord. We visited him as much as we could and kept
him in our prayers. As the end drew near, he was anointed. Like oil on
troubled waters, this brought stillness and calm. He died the following day.
I mentioned at the beginning that though it is we who steer our boat through
life, we need to follow the directions of the Lord, in order to reach the haven
we long for. This is found in the Gospels and the other Scriptures, setting out
a way of life that is pleasing to the Lord. Prayer confirms this, as a way of
seeking guidance in specific matters and especially in developing a capacity
to attend to God, to abide peacefully in his presence and to be still whilst
some of the storms of the world roll about us.
It seems to me that Alex’s somewhat surprising request to come here was an
instinctive understanding on his part that this was the way to set his sights
for the remaining years of his life. Little did he or we know how short that
was to be. Life here provided him with a structure and shape, time for prayer
and reading, a life shared with others, the daily Office and, something he
valued highly, a daily eucharist and Holy Communion. He wasn’t the sort
of person who threw himself into something with great enthusiasm and
energetic activity but he got on with it. He was diligent. I feel we can console
ourselves with this, grieved as we are at the suddenness of the end and the
suffering he endured. He grasped the tiller of the boat of his life and, with all
his failings and quirks, strived to follow the gently pointing hand of the Lord.
The steering of the boat is a steady work and it is not seen in a flurry of
activity. This work, the work of God, is to believe in him whom God has sent.
The wages of this work is eternal life. As Jesus tells us – ‘This is indeed the
will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal
life, and I will raise them up on the last day.’
It is significant that the text given to him at his Confirmation, printed under
the picture, was, ‘Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a Crown
of Life’. Now, as the psalm puts it, he has been taken out of his trouble and
reached the haven he longed for. So let us rejoice and, even in our sadness,
thank the Lord for his goodness and for the wonders that he does.
Psalm 107:23-32
Those who go down to the sea in ships:
and follow their trade on great waters,
These men have seen the works of God:
and his wonders in the deep.
For he spoke, and raised the storm-wind:
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