“A ship in a harbour is safe, but that’s not what ships were built for.” That was the caption on a poster I saw. It’s a call to action, of course: don’t stay hidden away if there’s something good you can do. But sometimes a harbour is needed: when the weather turns nasty, small boats needs to be there or be swamped; when repairs are needed, or the hull needs painting, a harbour is where even the biggest and strongest ships need to be.
And sometimes we need help to get from a place of peril to a place of safety: we need to be saved. Think Lifeboat or Air-Sea-Rescue.
In the Bible we hear how Jesus came to save us. Jesus is the saviour, the rescuer. And maybe the church community is like a harbour: A place of safety and a place from which we go out and then return to?
But what makes a harbour safe? Protection from wind and waves is part of it, but a harbour will have perils if it is not looked after: shallow water, boats moving too fast or too care-free, crumbling quays, foul water.
How does this translate into the church context?
He has saved us and called us to a holy life. 2 Tim 1:9.
Raymond.