The Way
The Northeaster
Days without sun or stars
Story
Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to Julius, a centurion of the Imperial Regiment, and put on a ship. Aristarchus, a man from Thessalonica, went with them. Julius treated Paul kindly and let him visit his friends in Sidon. At Myra they changed to a ship from Alexandria bound for Italy, but the wind was against them. The ship crept along slowly and barely reached Fair Havens on the south side of Crete.
The Day of Atonement, when the Jews fast, had already passed, and it was the dangerous season for sailing. Paul said to them, “Men, I can see that this voyage will bring great harm, not only to the cargo and the ship but to our own lives.” But the centurion trusted the captain and the owner of the ship more than Paul. Fair Havens was not a good harbor to spend the winter in, so most of them wanted to sail on to Phoenix, a harbor on the west of the same island.
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had what they wanted, and they pulled up anchor. Before long a violent wind called the Northeaster swept down from the island. The ship could not head into the wind and was driven along. They wrapped ropes around the hull to hold it together. The next day they threw cargo overboard, and on the third day the ship's gear. For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and all hope of being saved was lost.
Walk this scene on the map →Words of the Lord and of Paul
Men, I can see that this voyage will bring great harm and loss, not only to the cargo and the ship but to our own lives.
For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the great storm kept raging, until we gave up all hope of being saved.
The sayings are fresh renderings of the original meaning in today's language. Text: Acts 27:1–20
Background
The fast was the Day of Atonement in the autumn. After that, the winds on the Mediterranean grew strong and sailing became dangerous, and in winter the sea lanes were almost closed. The Greek name Euraquilo joins the words for east wind and north wind. It was a fierce northeaster.
Pause and Reflect
Am I making a risky choice just because things look good right now?