People of the Ark
-----------------------
The Lord then said to Noah,
“Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation."
-----------------------
If you were building a boat--a HUGE boat--in the middle of the desert, don't you suppose the neighbors would notice?
When you went into the neighborhood convenience store to grab a cup of coffee, don't you suppose they would all nudge each other and say, "Here they come!"
Noah and his family were marked.
They were... different.
They were people of the ark.
They couldn't hide that by dressing to blend in.
They couldn't cover it with tattoos or face masks.
They bet their lives on that boat, and they were marked by the ark.
No one knew there was a storm brewing, but they knew those folks were different.
In this covid world we know there's a storm brewing.
We know our world will be forever changed, even after the storm stops rearranging the landscape.
Lots of people are shouting lots of directions about how to survive this storm.
A few of us have bet our lives on the old ship of Zion.
It is a life raft for all Creation in the middle of a dry and weary land.
It marks us.
It makes us different.
There is nothing we can do to hide that.
We are marked by the ark.
Like the ark, the Gospel Ship has no rudder.
We have to trust God to steer, and it's a bumpy ride.
Sometimes there is a lot of noise inside.
Sometimes a lot of STANK.
But during this storm, there is no place I'd rather be.
You have been marked by the ark.
You are different.
Don't even try to hide it.
Let them nudge and wink.
Let the "experts" shout directions.
Trust the ship of Zion.
It has sailed many a storm, and it will deliver you safely through this.
Have mercy on those who are facing the storm alone.
Invite them onto this old Gospel Ship.
There is always room for more people of the ark.
----------------------
Lord, there is a storm brewing like the world has never seen.
We all want to tell you which way to steer.
Help us to build a ship big enough for all.
Mark me as a person of the ark.